The Epoch Times » Canadahttp://www.theepochtimes.com
The Epoch Times is an independent voice in print and on the web. We report news responsibly and truthfully so that readers can improve their own lives and increase their understanding and respect for their neighbors next door and around the globe.Sun, 01 Mar 2015 16:39:01 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1Lawyer for Al-jazeera Journalist Blasts Canadian Governmenthttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1265105-lawyer-for-al-jazeera-journalist-blasts-canadian-government/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1265105-lawyer-for-al-jazeera-journalist-blasts-canadian-government/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 21:51:58 +0000Associated Press]]>TORONTO—The lawyer for a Canadian Al-Jazeera journalist is blasting the Canadian government for not doing enough to secure his release from Egypt.

Journalist Mohamed Fahmy is out on bail awaiting retrial after more than a year behind bars in Egypt …

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TORONTO—The lawyer for a Canadian Al-Jazeera journalist is blasting the Canadian government for not doing enough to secure his release from Egypt.

Journalist Mohamed Fahmy is out on bail awaiting retrial after more than a year behind bars in Egypt on terrorism-related charges.

Lawyer Amal Clooney said in a statement Thursday that Canada’s “sheepish whimpers are woefully inadequate.” Clooney said calls for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to pick up the phone to personally intervene have “so far fallen on deaf ears.”

Clooney also said the Canadian government received assurances Fahmy would be released and when that didn’t happen, it merely issued a short statement by a junior minister calling for his release.

Carl Vallee, a Harper spokesman, says Harper has personally raised the case with the Egyptian president.

Some are calling it the “sharing economy,” though “renting economy” is a more accurate description. Businesses like Uber, Airbnb, and AskForTask connect people who want …

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A digital behemoth is gobbling up traditional business models faster than you can say “taxicab.”

Some are calling it the “sharing economy,” though “renting economy” is a more accurate description. Businesses like Uber, Airbnb, and AskForTask connect people who want something with those who can provide it—for a fee.

It’s giving Canadians cheaper rides, cheaper places to stay, and cheaper help around the house for those odd jobs—all through the convenience of a smartphone app.

The problem is, the renting economy hinges on cheap labour and critics say it leads to lower wages and precarious work. So far the government has yet to weigh in on the issue, leaving traditional businesses subject to sometimes onerous regulations while the new companies roam free-range.

Think-tanks are now chipping in with advice on a revolution that is just getting started.

Low Pay, Few Protections

While the term “sharing economy” has gained traction, critics ranging from labour activists to tech bloggers say it confuses the nature of what is actually happening and the fact that the people making all the real money in this space are those providing the platform.

Companies like Uber connect drivers with passengers and take a 20 percent cut for the service. Taskrabbit in the U.S. and AskForTask in Canada provide a similar service for odd jobs and take 15 percent and up. Amazon’s Mechanical Turks posts “microtasks” like writing a photo caption or cropping a photo that can pay as little as one cent each.

Innovation is moving faster than regulators can keep up with., Canadian Labour Congress— Emily Norgang

As these businesses get more established, those working through them have started sharing the sometimes gritty details. Common complaints are low pay and few of the same protections that come with regular jobs. People work as independent contractors of sorts. That means no pension contributions, unemployment insurance, or guaranteed minimum wage.

Critics of the growth of the renting economy warn it could wipe out jobs and the gains the labour movement delivered to workers over previous generations.

Armine Yalnizyan is the senior economist at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. She says one of the more serious challenges of the renting economy is the lack of rules. Much as Netflix has sidestepped the regulations that regular broadcasters face, new companies like Uber and Airbnb have avoided regulation.

“They are operating as if it is a post-regulatory environment, but we have regulations for a reason, including to not exploit people,” she said.

“I am not saying it is going to be easy to figure out the new rules that govern this, but if we accede to this idea that there is a new libertarian ethos to what the Internet can do in terms of providing jobs, that it is unregulatable, then we are in trouble.”

The challenge for governments is keeping pace with the speed of change, something they haven’t managed to do, says Emily Norgang, a senior researcher at the Canadian Labour Congress.

“Innovation is moving faster than regulators can keep up with, and a lot more research needs to be done to understand the impacts of this.”

Norgang is among a growing number of academics and researchers concerned that the job standards and wages Canadians are used to are now under threat.

“This new business model is being used to weaken labour protection, to drive down wages, and it really does shift risks onto the worker,” she says.

Another concern is the monopoly tendency of many online businesses. The trend has been that a clear frontrunner establishes market dominance and newcomers struggle to gain traction. That problem would be particularly worrisome to workers with nowhere else to go.

Cheaper Option for Consumers

While these companies are disruptive to established businesses and could drive down wages, they also give consumers another option—a cheaper, easier option—and that makes them popular.

Investors see huge potential in these companies, and Uber has locked down a valuation of around $40 billion while reports put Airbnb’s value upwards of $10 billion.

These peer-to-peer platforms represent a wave of innovation that consumers are hungry for.

These peer-to-peer platforms represent a wave of innovation that consumers are hungry for. They offer everything from easier delivery services to rental tools, and broad objections are unlikely to slow them down. The only other option is to adapt.

Unfortunately, many governments don’t know what to do. When the Epoch Times asked the federal labour department and Employment and Social Development Canada (formerly HRSDC) if either was looking into the issue, a spokesperson suggested talking to provincial regulating bodies.

Neither the Alberta nor British Columbia labour ministries replied by deadline, but there are no studies of the issue on their websites, nor any recent policy discussions. Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, however, said it is working to update the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and Employment Standards Act, 2000 in part because of these new types of businesses.

Any change to regulations governing workers, or sectors like taxicabs, would face a host of challenges, such as figuring out if a person is an employee or a contractor, or balancing the needs of innovation against those of safety and fairness.

It’s an issue academics, tech bloggers, journalists, and think-tanks have been weighing in on.

Last week, the Mowat Centre, a public policy think-tank at the University of Toronto, published a report it hopes can help government’s chart a course.

The report, “Policymaking for the sharing economy,” concludes that the government’s inability to keep pace with technological change is “a persistent, and problematic, condition.”

But keeping up is essential to nurture innovation, offer consumer choice, and create opportunities to invest, says the report.

“Jurisdictions that move early to respond to new trends will benefit from better options for their citizens and more dynamic and competitive economies,” it concludes.

Think-tank Recommendations

Noah Zon, one of the authors of the report, says governments need to be proactive enough that they anticipate change and are ready to respond.

“It makes it much more difficult to manoeuvre and work with the new operator and consumers when something is already an established part of our economy and society.”

Critics of the growth of the renting economy warn it could wipe out jobs and the gains the labour movement delivered to workers over previous generations.

The Mowat Centre made recommendations for how government could move things along more quickly. Many of those recommendations echo a U.S. think-tank, the Miliken Institute, which looked at the same issue but focused more specifically on the financial services sector, where peer-to-peer models are also changing the rules of the game.

An iterative approach is essential to many of these problems because governments don’t know the full impacts yet and need to learn as they go, suggest the think-tanks. They also need to revisit an issue repeatedly rather than passing legislation that isn’t looked at again for 20 years.

Brian Knight, an associate director at the Miliken Institute, suggests a principles-based approach that would lay out in broad strokes how companies should conduct themselves.

Rather than a rules-based approach, which sets out exact conduct, this approach is much quicker and leaves room for innovation while telling companies how they should behave.

“If instead of defining taxis with great specificity a rule covered the act of driving people for pay, then Uber would be covered from day one,” he says.

There is little certainty about what will happen as these companies play a bigger role in the economy besides the fact that prices will likely drop. A temp agency that rents a building would have a hard time matching prices against one based on a website, just like a taxi service where owners insure their own cars and don’t pay heavy licensing fees can beat out those who don’t.

If governments want to do more than wait and see what happens, the consensus is they need to pick up the pace and start looking further ahead.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264053-rules-for-the-renting-economy/feed/0Unique Equine Program Helps Veterans Battle PTSDhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264038-unique-equine-program-helps-veterans-battle-ptsd/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264038-unique-equine-program-helps-veterans-battle-ptsd/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 03:07:02 +0000Justina Reichel, Epoch Times]]>Soon after Canadian Forces veteran C.J. Wilneff returned home from Afghanistan in 2010, he began to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Struggling with flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, body tremors, and a spiralling substance addiction, it was two years before …

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Soon after Canadian Forces veteran C.J. Wilneff returned home from Afghanistan in 2010, he began to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Struggling with flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, body tremors, and a spiralling substance addiction, it was two years before he finally sought help.

That step led him to Can Praxis, a unique program that uses horses to help PTSD sufferers and their families heal. Now, having almost completed the program, Wilneff says he is regaining a sense of control over his life.

“I was hiding before and I wasn’t being open and honest about everything—all of my thoughts and where I was mentally,” he says, adding that the program has helped him improve his relationship with fiancée Stacey Quinn.

If you’re having a stressful day it doesn’t take long for the horse to pick up on it.— Canadian Forces veteran C.J. Wilneff

“[Can Praxis] really helped me get those things out and learn how to communicate them effectively. That was a big weight off my shoulders.”

The program, which takes place at the Can Praxis ranch near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, works in three phases. In the first, participants and their spouses or children take a class on communication and conflict resolution with Can Praxis co-founder Steve Critchley, a 28-year veteran of the Canadian Forces and an international mediator, facilitator, negotiator, and trainer.

In the second phase, the couples work through simple tasks with the horses, guided by registered psychologist and Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator Jim Marland. In phase three, participants partake in a multi-day horse-riding expedition, solidifying the skills and lessons learned in the previous phases.

Horses’ Special Nature

The reason the program works, says Marland, is its combination of classroom theory and real-life practice with the horses. But it’s also the horses’ special nature and character that helps bring about healing. Many of the participants, who hail from across Canada, have told him it was the first thing that worked for them, while other treatments had failed.

“The heart of it is that the horse, as an animal that’s preyed upon, is watching very carefully, and if the horse is comfortable with the people around it will become relaxed and probably quite willing to comply with their instructions,” Marland explains.

“The moment the horse senses some conflict—too much leadership, not enough leadership, confusion, or anxiety—it notices it immediately, and then the horse’s body language will change. … That’s an invitation to have a conversation about what’s happening between the couple.”

Wilneff was surprised how intuitive the horses were, and bonded with his horse, Partner, almost immediately.

“When we first got to see all the horses I pointed at one and said, ‘I want that horse.’ The minute I walked into the pen, Partner literally walked right over to me and started rubbing his head on my chest. It was like he knew that I wanted to be with him and he was going to be my horse,” he says.

“The horses are amazing. You come to learn very quickly that they can pick up on all of your emotions. So, if you’re having a stressful day it doesn’t take long for the horse to pick up on it. Ultimately, it will treat you in the way that you’re treating yourself.”

Support

The program is free of charge for participants, including their food, travel, and sometimes even child and pet care costs. It is primarily funded by Wounded Warriors Canada, a charity that supports Canadian soldiers wounded overseas and their families. Last week, Wounded Warriors donated $170,000 to Can Praxis, which will help 40 more couples go through the program.

Wilneff says that one of the most important components for him was the relationships he and his fiancée developed with other veterans and their spouses. He has formed friendships with many of the participants, meeting regularly outside of the program and on social media. Can Praxis has a Facebook forum for all alumni members to offer each other instant support if they are having a bad day or just need to talk to someone.

“It’s just amazing that no matter when you need the support you write something on that Facebook wall, as in, ‘I’m struggling, I could use somebody to talk to,’ and within seconds or minutes somebody else that’s done the program is in contact with you or is messaging you,” he says.

“It’s just amazing the support you get from absolutely everybody that’s been involved. … That’s a big part of it, the continuing support, and having numerous people to talk to when you need to.”

The simple opportunity to be together in a supportive environment, where everyone deeply understands what it’s like to go through PTSD, is invaluable for veterans, says Marland, who hopes to expand the program to Central and Eastern Canada.

The program has given Wilneff a sense of hope for the future—something that is a relatively new feeling for him.

“I’m coming home with a greater appreciation of my life, which as somebody with PTSD is a really hard thing to find,” he says.

MiningWatch is blaming diplomats at Canada’s embassy in Mexico for overlooking Toronto-based Excellon Resources Inc.’s efforts to avoid redressing a violated land-use contract and repression against a peaceful protest in 2012.

A recent report by MiningWatch cites internal documents obtained from Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs through an access to information request by the Ottawa-based NGO and the United Steelworkers Union.

The protest took place in Durango, Mexico, between July and November 2012, and involved Ejido La Sierrita, an agricultural community of 127 landowners who were protesting over poor working conditions and other issues related to Excellon’s La Platosa mine.

Talks between the community and the company had broken down, and the landowners and union workers undertook the protest after filing two formal complaints in Canada alleging serious land and labour rights violations without result.

The embassy offered ‘unconditional support’ to Excellon ‘in order to protect the company’s economic interests at the expense of our human rights.’— Ejido La Sierrita

“What led us to put in the request was after the army and federal police moved in on the peaceful protest at the end of August, we became aware at that time that Excellon had hired a very well-connected lobbyist in Ottawa who had been a former staffer in John Baird’s office,” said Jen Moore, Latin America program coordinator with MiningWatch Canada and author of the report.

“We were looking for information on the lobbying activities and were quite appalled to find that well before hiring Will Stewart they had had constant communication and a close working relationship with the embassy to lobby Mexican authorities.”

According to a press release from the Ejido La Sierrita, the embassy offered “unconditional support” to Excellon “in order to protect the company’s economic interests at the expense of our human rights.”

“The Embassy spied on the community, pressured Mexican officials in favour of the company, and considered appropriate the use of repressive methods against the ejido´s peaceful protest, with the purpose of guaranteeing the continued operation of the Excellon mine,” alleges Ejido La Sierrita.

Moore says the documents show no evidence that embassy officials urged Excellon to act on the landowners’ complaints.

“Not once do we see the embassy say anything about how the company should respect its contract, respect labour rights or labour law with its workers and actually acting on the complaints that had been brought. On the contrary, there is absolute silence in the nearly 250 pages we received,” she said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs dismissed the complaints contained in MiningWatch’s report and suggested no wrongdoing on the part of officials at the embassy.

“To suggest that Canadian officials operating from our diplomatic mission in Mexico acted in a way that does not reflect the highest ethical standards and Canadian values is entirely without merit,” the department said in a statement issued to the Epoch Times.

“The Government of Canada expects all Canadian companies operating abroad to follow all applicable laws.”

However, Wayne Marston, the Official Opposition Critic for Consular Affairs, says consulate officials are known to support Canadian mining companies.

“Over a period of time we have noted that the activity of our consular services has really been supporting the mining companies,” he said. “There is a difference between offering consular services for a Canadian or a Canadian company—that is quite a different thing to the accusations in this report.”

Last month, the protesters won a decision ordering Excellon to pay the Ejido La Sierrita for use of their lands. They have since taken action to rescind their contract with Excellon.

Kaven Baker-Voakes is a freelance reporter based in Ottawa.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264064-canadian-embassy-ignored-mining-abuses-in-mexico-report/feed/0Doctor-Assisted Dying: Tories Back Off on Asking for Extended Deadlinehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264090-doctor-assisted-dying-tories-back-off-on-asking-for-extended-deadline/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264090-doctor-assisted-dying-tories-back-off-on-asking-for-extended-deadline/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:39:21 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA—Confusion reigned Tuesday as the Harper government struggled to offer a coherent response to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down the ban on doctor-assisted dying.

The government sent a series of contradictory signals on two key questions: would …

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OTTAWA—Confusion reigned Tuesday as the Harper government struggled to offer a coherent response to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down the ban on doctor-assisted dying.

The government sent a series of contradictory signals on two key questions: would it invoke the notwithstanding clause to override the ruling or would it ask for an extension on the court-imposed 12-month deadline for crafting a new law?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper twice dodged when asked to assure Canadians that he won’t use the constitutional override provision to reinstate the ban on medically assisted suicide.

“We are taking a look at this (court) decision. It is on a matter that is obviously very delicate and very divisive among Canadians,” Harper told the House of Commons.

“We will listen to Canadians from all backgrounds and do that before deciding how to respond to the decision.”

A prime ministerial spokesperson was later dispatched to clarify that the government does not intend to invoke the notwithstanding clause.

We will listen to Canadians from all backgrounds and do that before deciding how to respond to the decision.— Prime Minister Stephen Harper

Harper’s ambiguity followed mixed messages earlier in the day about the deadline the court has imposed for crafting a new law that recognizes the right of clearly consenting adults who are enduring intolerable physical or mental suffering to seek medical help to end their lives.

Bob Dechert, parliamentary secretary to the justice minister, initially told the Commons that 12 months is not enough time to deal with such a sensitive issue, particularly since an election will shutter Parliament for two or three months in the fall.

But he later backtracked, saying the government intends to meet the deadline. The confusion in government ranks was prompted by a Liberal motion calling for creation of a special multi-party committee to consult and report back to Parliament by mid-summer with a proposed framework for a new law.

The Conservatives opposed the motion, which was eventually defeated by a vote of 146-132, arguing that broader consultation with Canadians is required.

Kicking off debate on the motion, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said parliamentarians have a duty to respond to the court’s ruling and can do so within the 12-month time limit if they get the ball rolling immediately.

“There is no advantage to delaying debate,” Trudeau said.

However, the governing Conservatives may see an electoral advantage in delaying at least until after the election any action on an explosive issue that is likely to divide its caucus and its support base.

A number of Tory backbenchers have openly railed against what they see as the top court usurping the role of elected legislators and have urged the government to invoke the notwithstanding clause. Several have called for an extension on the court-imposed deadline.

NDP justice critic Francoise Boivin speculated that the government wants to avoid taking action before the election so as not to alienate “the religious right” and to allow Tory candidates to stick to their own personal views without contradicting government policy.

“It sounds and it smells a lot like again they’re playing politics with that,” she said.

During Tuesday’s debate, Dechert’s comments reflected an obvious level of Conservative discomfort with the court ruling.

He enumerated what he called the many risks involved in legalizing doctor-assisted dying, including elderly or disabled people being pressured by family or doctors to prematurely end their lives or people opting for doctor-assisted suicide on the basis of faulty diagnoses.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264090-doctor-assisted-dying-tories-back-off-on-asking-for-extended-deadline/feed/0Harper Urges Swift Passage of Anti-Terror Bill; NDP Calls for Full Studyhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264151-harper-urges-swift-passage-of-anti-terror-bill-ndp-calls-for-full-study/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264151-harper-urges-swift-passage-of-anti-terror-bill-ndp-calls-for-full-study/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:37:17 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper is urging a House of Commons committee to study the government’s anti-terror bill as quickly as possible, in spite of accusations the Conservatives are using their majority to rush the legislation onto the books.

NDP Leader …

]]>OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper is urging a House of Commons committee to study the government’s anti-terror bill as quickly as possible, in spite of accusations the Conservatives are using their majority to rush the legislation onto the books.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told the Commons on Tuesday it is essential to scrutinize the bill, and asked Harper to ensure that security and human rights experts are not only heard, but also heeded.

The Conservatives brought in the bill—which would significantly expand the powers of Canada’s spy agency—following the murders of two Canadian soldiers last October.

The bill would also make it easier for authorities to control the movements of terror suspects, expand no-fly list powers, crack down on extremist propaganda and outlaw encouraging someone to commit a terrorist act.

The NDP opposes the legislation, saying it threatens civil liberties and fails to make Canadians safer.

Harper dismissed Mulcair’s criticisms and said the public strongly supports the proposals.

“I would urge the committee to study this bill as quickly as possible, in order to ensure the adoption of these measures to ensure the security and safety of Canadians,” Harper said.

NDP public safety critic Randall Garrison said the Conservatives rammed the legislation through the House.

“Will the government commit today to a full and proper study of this sweeping security bill?”

The NDP hopes to call anywhere from 80 to 100 witnesses to testify on the bill during more than two dozen meetings, and as of Tuesday had finalized a preliminary roster of 20 names. They include four former prime ministers and several retired Supreme Court justices who recently published a statement calling for increased oversight of Canadian intelligence activities.

The New Democrats also want to hear from Eva Plunkett, the former inspector general of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, whose office was abolished as a cost-cutting measure.

Critics including the NDP and Liberals have called for more robust oversight to complement the work of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, the remaining watchdog charged with keeping an eye on CSIS.

Estimated budget figures published Tuesday put the watchdog’s planned expenditures for 2015-16 at $2.8 million, only slightly above this year’s allotment. The estimate for CSIS, meanwhile, was $537 million, up almost $21 million from last year.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264151-harper-urges-swift-passage-of-anti-terror-bill-ndp-calls-for-full-study/feed/0Toronto Cop Hopes His ‘Call Us’ Tunnel Tweet Stirs Up Tipshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264179-toronto-cop-hopes-his-call-us-tunnel-tweet-stirs-up-tips/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264179-toronto-cop-hopes-his-call-us-tunnel-tweet-stirs-up-tips/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:36:25 +0000The Canadian Press]]>TORONTO—A Toronto police officer whose tweet about a mysterious tunnel found in the city went viral says he hopes the lighthearted appeal will stir up tips for investigators.

]]>TORONTO—A Toronto police officer whose tweet about a mysterious tunnel found in the city went viral says he hopes the lighthearted appeal will stir up tips for investigators.

Staff Sgt. Chris Boddy drew international attention Tuesday with his tweet: “If you built a tunnel near Rexall Centre in #Toronto give us a call, k?”

The tongue-in-cheek message was shared by thousands on social media and was also featured in newscasts in Canada and abroad.

The 24-year veteran of the Toronto police force, who followed news of the tunnel’s discovery despite being on a weeklong break from work, said he thinks the message resonated with people because they “don’t expect to see that from a cop.”

“Cops are just people too but we wear a uniform—that’s kind of one of my goals in using social media, to remind people of that and to keep it real,” he said.

It’s not the first time Boddy’s tweets have thrust him in the spotlight.

A back-to-school tweet encouraging students to reach out to kids eating alone in the cafeteria made the rounds after it was shared by U.S. talk show host Katie Couric in 2013.

“Dear Students: If you see a kid eating alone in the cafe, say hello and join him/her,” read the tweet.

Another message, this time about a stuffed animal found at Toronto’s Pearson airport, was retweeted hundreds of times and eventually led to the toy’s five-year-old owner.

So far, no one has stepped up to claim the tunnel as a result of the tweet but Boddy said he hopes his friendly tone will reassure whoever is responsible that it’s OK to come forward.

Police have made it clear there is no indication of criminal activity related to the bunker found last month near a Pan Am Games venue near York University, he said.

“I’d love for us to talk next week and say, ‘Yeah, somebody came forward as a result of seeing that tweet’ and it was who knows what, a university prank or whatever,” he said.

Investigators have said they’re trying to determine who built the chamber, which has since been filled in, and why.

Deputy Chief Mark Saunders told media Wednesday that police have received several tips and are continuing with the investigation.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264179-toronto-cop-hopes-his-call-us-tunnel-tweet-stirs-up-tips/feed/0Prentice: Keystone XL Battle Goes On Despite Veto By President Obamahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264180-prentice-keystone-xl-battle-goes-on-despite-veto-by-president-obama/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264180-prentice-keystone-xl-battle-goes-on-despite-veto-by-president-obama/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:35:27 +0000The Canadian Press]]>EDMONTON—Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says the struggle over Keystone XL is not over, even with the veto of a bill approving the transcontinental pipeline.

Prentice says the pipeline is ultimately in the best interests of both Canada and the United …

]]>EDMONTON—Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says the struggle over Keystone XL is not over, even with the veto of a bill approving the transcontinental pipeline.

Prentice says the pipeline is ultimately in the best interests of both Canada and the United States, and says he believes that view will ultimately prevail.

He says North America is an integrated energy market and that without a pipeline, Canadian oil will continue to enter the U.S. by rail.

Prentice made the comments after U.S. President Barack Obama made good on a threat to veto a bill to approve the pipeline.

A White House spokesman says the veto doesn’t necessarily mean Barack is against the pipeline, but rather to emphasize the decision is his alone given that the project crosses the border.

There’s an expectation that U.S. lawmakers might try bringing Keystone back as part of bill that is favoured by Obama.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264180-prentice-keystone-xl-battle-goes-on-despite-veto-by-president-obama/feed/0Former Sports Catering CEO Pleads Guilty to Kicking Doghttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264181-former-sports-catering-ceo-pleads-guilty-to-kicking-dog/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264181-former-sports-catering-ceo-pleads-guilty-to-kicking-dog/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:34:29 +0000The Canadian Press]]>VANCOUVER—The former CEO of a company that provides catering services to sports venues across North America has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after he was videotaped in a Vancouver elevator kicking a puppy.

Desmond Hague, who resigned from Centerplate …

]]>VANCOUVER—The former CEO of a company that provides catering services to sports venues across North America has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after he was videotaped in a Vancouver elevator kicking a puppy.

Desmond Hague, who resigned from Centerplate Inc. last year, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of causing an animal to be in distress.

He was initially charged with two counts.

A surveillance video from a downtown Vancouver hotel in late July showed him in an elevator with a young Doberman pinscher, kicking it and yanking its collar.

Hague admitted it was him in the video.

Hague apologized to the dog’s owners and issued a public statement saying he was deeply embarrassed by his actions.

Centerplate initially said Hague would donate $10,000 to establish a foundation in the dog’s name and volunteer 1,000 hours of his time. The company announced Hague’s resignation a week later.

The B.C. SPCA, which investigates cases of animal cruelty, announced charges last month.

The agency said the puppy belonged to Hague’s friend.

The animal was returned to its owner on the condition it have no contact with Hague, the SPCA said.

A sentencing hearing is set for April 15.

The offence carries a maximum penalty of a $75,000 fine, up to two years in jail or a lifetime ban on owning animals.

Centerplate provides catering services to venues across North America, including BC Place, the home of the CFL’s BC Lions.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264181-former-sports-catering-ceo-pleads-guilty-to-kicking-dog/feed/0Saskatchewan First in Canada, Second in World for Mining: Fraser Institutehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264182-saskatchewan-first-in-canada-second-in-world-for-mining-fraser-institute/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264182-saskatchewan-first-in-canada-second-in-world-for-mining-fraser-institute/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:33:30 +0000The Canadian Press]]>REGINA—The Fraser Institute says its annual global survey of mining executives has determined Saskatchewan is the most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment in Canada, and number two in the world.

The survey rates 122 jurisdictions around the world based on …

]]>REGINA—The Fraser Institute says its annual global survey of mining executives has determined Saskatchewan is the most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment in Canada, and number two in the world.

The survey rates 122 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness and the extent to which government policies encourage exploration and investment.

Finland placed first overall in the world, with Nevada coming in third and Manitoba fourth.

In Canada, Manitoba was second, Quebec third and Newfoundland and Labrador rated fourth, following by Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Two of Canada’s other geographically large jurisdictions—Ontario and British Columbia—didn’t fare as well.

Internationally, Ontario placed 23rd and B.C. ranked 28th.

“In addition to being blessed with an abundance of mineral potential, Saskatchewan gets credit for having a government with a transparent and productive approach to mining policy,” said Kenneth Green, Fraser Institute senior director of energy and natural resources and director of the Survey of Mining Companies.

“The province offers a competitive taxation regime, good scientific support, efficient permitting procedures and clarity around land claims. That’s what miners look for.”
Green said there’s a reason Ontario dropped nine places in the rankings compared to the previous year.

“In Ontario, the New Mining Act amendments regarding First Nations consultation have resulted in complete incomprehensibility of rights on all sides,” Green said.

“Similarly in British Columbia, uncertainty concerning disputed land claims and ambiguity about what regions will be protected are deterrents to investment and exploration.”

The survey was conducted between Aug. 26 and Nov. 15, 2014, and included the responses of 485 mineral exploration and development company executives from around the world.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264182-saskatchewan-first-in-canada-second-in-world-for-mining-fraser-institute/feed/0Four Children Die, Mother Saves 3 in Manitobahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264183-four-children-die-mother-saves-3-in-manitoba/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264183-four-children-die-mother-saves-3-in-manitoba/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:32:31 +0000The Canadian Press]]>KANE, Man.—A mother was able to save three of her children, but four others died in an early-morning house fire Wednesday in a southern Manitoba rural municipality.

“The adults escaped. The three youngest children were saved by the mother. The …

]]>KANE, Man.—A mother was able to save three of her children, but four others died in an early-morning house fire Wednesday in a southern Manitoba rural municipality.

“The adults escaped. The three youngest children were saved by the mother. The four older children who were in the second level of a two-storey home perished in the blaze,” said Ralph Groening, reeve for the RM of Morris.

Groening said volunteer fire crews unsuccessfully tried to put up a ladder to the second-floor window as the home burned.

“The fire was too far advanced. They were unable to go into the building. It simply wasn’t safe.”

The parents were receiving medical care and their three surviving children were staying with friends, Groening said.

“One adult was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation resulting from his efforts to save his children.”

The municipality’s volunteer fire chief said it was the father who made the emergency call. The man saw smoke coming from his house as he was returning from work, Bernard Schellenberg said.

RCMP said the blaze broke out near the tiny community of Kane, about 95 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.

Schellenberg, who was not at the scene, said the emergency call came in at around 12:15 a.m. and about 20 volunteer firefighters from nearby communities responded in four trucks.

The two-story farmhouse was already engulfed in flames and smoke when crews arrived, he said.

“They went into a defensive strategy and they could not make entrance into the house due to heavy smoke and fire conditions.”
Environment Canada indicates the temperature in the Morris area at the time was -27 C with the wind chill.

The fire is under investigation by the Manitoba Fire Office and the RCMP, Schellenberg said.

A “critical incident stress debrief” was being set up to help the volunteer crews who responded, “so they can go through some of the emotions that come with a call like this,” he said.

“Our crews did the best they could with the conditions they had.”

Groening said the children’s deaths have hit the community hard.

“I can only imagine what the parents are going through, what the three children who are saved are going through, how they are responding to the loss of four siblings.

“It is a tragedy that will take a long time for them and for us to recover from.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264183-four-children-die-mother-saves-3-in-manitoba/feed/0Pilot Project Improves Literacy at Two First Nations’ Schools: Martinhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264102-pilot-project-improves-literacy-at-two-first-nations-schools-martin/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264102-pilot-project-improves-literacy-at-two-first-nations-schools-martin/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 02:25:47 +0000The Canadian Press]]>TORONTO—Former prime minister Paul Martin said a “remarkable” pilot program for reading and writing at two First Nations’ elementary schools should be rolled out across Canada.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Martin announced results from a four-year literacy program at Walpole …

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TORONTO—Former prime minister Paul Martin said a “remarkable” pilot program for reading and writing at two First Nations’ elementary schools should be rolled out across Canada.

On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Martin announced results from a four-year literacy program at Walpole Island and Kettle and Stony Point First Nations in Ontario that showed students were well behind provincial reading and writing standards when the study began in 2010.

But by 2014, reading and writing levels of Grade 3 and Grade 6 students were near, and sometimes exceeded, provincial standards.

Martin said he was “taken aback with joy” at the findings.

“What we would very much hope is that the example that was set here will be taken across the country,” Martin told a news conference in Toronto.

The program was funded without government money, Martin said, and led by several organizations, including the former prime minister’s own organization that aims to improve education for aboriginal children in elementary and secondary schools.

What we would very much hope is that the example that was set here will be taken across the country.— Former prime minister Paul Martin

Julia O’Sullivan, dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, designed the program.

Sullivan said the program started with showing teachers how to properly instruct reading and writing. The schools implemented a mandatory reading and writing period—the first 90 minutes of each day—for every student in each school.

There were nearly 500 students from kindergarten to Grade 6 in the program. The students took standardized provincial testing as a way to measure progress.

Before the program started, for example, 33 percent of third grade students met or exceeded provincial standards for writing. By the end of the program, 91 percent of Grade 3 students had met or exceeded those standards compared with 70 percent of students in the rest of the province.

Kettle and Stony Point First Nation chief Thomas Bressette said the problem is one of resources.

“There needs to be a period of catch-up time because our people have been looked down on and set back because of underfunding, not because we’re ignorant and we’re dumb and uneducated and incapable of learning, but because of the circumstances,” Bressette said.

Steve Styers, the principal for Walpole Island Elementary School, said he has seen a dramatic change in his students, who are reading library books at a record clip.

Despite the program ending, Styers said “it’s not an option to go backwards and that expertise is there now.”

Martin said the program cost about $1.5 million over four years, which would decrease significantly per school if it were rolled out widely.

The question of cost riled Martin, who launched into a speech about the challenges of First Nations.

“Teachers on reserves should not be underpaid compared to teachers in the rest of the country—that makes no sense,” he said to rousing applause.

They’re hoping the federal government will step up with money and moral suasion to aid in …

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TORONTO—A concerted national effort to plant the traditionally unloved milkweed is needed to reverse a precipitous decline in the monarch butterfly population, conservationists say.

They’re hoping the federal government will step up with money and moral suasion to aid in an effort they say needs to include power line, road, and rail agencies.

Estimates are that the migratory monarchs have declined by 90 percent across North America over the past two decades, in part because of the eradication of milkweed, the only food plant the butterflies use as caterpillars.

Essentially, no milkweed means no monarchs.

“When you have these massive declines in milkweed, it results in these massive declines in monarchs,” said Tyler Flockhart, a conservation biologist and researcher at the University of Guelph.

“Because the monarch population is basically in a downward spiral, getting milkweed in the ground is the most important thing.”

Most monarchs—described by the federal government as a “symbol of international co-operation, conservation and appreciation of nature”—migrate along various routes through the United States between Canada and Mexico.

In Canada, they are mostly found in southern Ontario, southwestern Quebec, and the most southerly parts of Manitoba and British Columbia. Like other pollinators, they are considered an indicator species of the overall health of the environment.

“There’s something magical about monarchs,” said Rachel Plotkin, a science projects manager with the David Suzuki Foundation. “Seeing a monarch is like the insect equivalent of seeing a rainbow or finding money on the ground.”

On the other hand, the prolific milkweed has traditionally been viewed or officially listed as a noxious weed, even poisonous to livestock, and hence a target for herbicides.

However, conservationists say the weed can be easily controlled in an agricultural setting while being grown and facilitated along roadways or hydro rights-of-way to aid the monarch and other pollinators.

Last year, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. committed to action to safeguard the species. Mexico has acted to preserve forests where the butterflies rest, while federal and state agencies in the U.S. have promised US$3.2 million for programs to grow milkweed in schoolyards and gardens and on highway roadsides from Mexico to Minnesota.

“Canada, so far, remains quiet; it just needs to show the monarchs some love and start putting some resources towards habitat restoration,” Plotkin said.

“For monarch populations to recover, we need to launch some aggressive restoration initiatives that see milkweed springing up.”

A spokeswoman for Environment Canada said in an email the federal government was working to develop a strategy to mitigate threats to the monarch, designated as a species of concern.

She said Canada had added Long Point National Wildlife Area, Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, and Point Pelee National Park to a network of conservation areas aimed at protecting the butterfly across its North American range.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1264071-save-monarchs-with-milkweed-planting-program-feds-urged/feed/0Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Auctions Off Some Itemshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1263836-former-toronto-mayor-rob-ford-auctions-off-some-items/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1263836-former-toronto-mayor-rob-ford-auctions-off-some-items/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 01:03:38 +0000Associated Press]]>TORONTO—Anyone interested in buying a piece of Rob Ford history now has the chance to do so.

The notorious former Toronto mayor and now city councilor is auctioning off some of the memorabilia he has collected over the years.

Ford’s …

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TORONTO—Anyone interested in buying a piece of Rob Ford history now has the chance to do so.

The notorious former Toronto mayor and now city councilor is auctioning off some of the memorabilia he has collected over the years.

Ford’s term was plagued by scandals involving drinking, crack cocaine use and erratic behavior.

Ten percent of the proceeds will go toward research and care facilities for liposarcoma, the form of cancer Ford was diagnosed with last year.

The first item — a map of the Toronto area port lands dated 1990 — went up on eBay, with bids starting at US$50-dollars.

Ford’s assistant has said Ford would be selling some items, but didn’t say how many — or where the rest of the funds raised will end up.

His statement that the Jan. 21 rate cut “buys us some time to see how the economy actually responds,” was a key phrase that financial markets interpreted to mean that another rate cut on March 4 was now less likely.

The Canadian dollar which was hovering around $0.795 U.S. prior to the speech appreciated to slightly north of $0.80 U.S. after the release of the speech and the TSX fell by roughly 75 points.

In his Q&A session, Poloz said that the central bank’s assumption for the price of oil at the time of the last interest rate decision, which drives many of their projections, seemed to be holding up reasonably well and that they had taken out the “appropriate amount of insurance [0.25 percent rate cut], given what we knew.”

Toward the end of his speech, the governor touched how this action supports both inflation targeting and financial stability.

The oil price shock has become a major headwind to reaching economic potential and the 2 percent inflation target—the “traditional” things central banks focus on. Financial stability used to be seen as the responsibility of regulators, but central banks are increasingly factoring it in when conducting monetary policy.

Furthermore, the oil price shock has created greater financial stability risks in that it translates into lower incomes for Canadians. This exacerbates the already elevated debt-to-income ratio, the key measure of the indebtedness, or leverage, of Canadian households.

“It gives us greater confidence that we can get back to full capacity and stable inflation by the end of 2016, instead of sometime in 2017,” he said. “And it will cushion the decline in income and employment, as well as the rise in the debt-to-income ratio, that lower oil prices will bring.”

Improving Central Banking

The global economy still faces significant challenges several years after the financial crisis, even after some major central banks have cut rates to zero and into negative territory and have grown their balance sheets to try to reduce longer-term interest rates.

However, Poloz feels there is still much uncertainty out there and that central banking needs to figure out a way to incorporate financial stability risks while maintaining low and stable inflation.

“Although we are not out of the woods yet, it is nevertheless the right time to be thinking about what monetary policy should look like once we are,” said Poloz.

He outlined a brief history of how major central banks became inflation-targetters. After the gold standard, the U.S. dollar standard, and monetary targets became unsatisfactory for monetary policy, in 1991 the Bank of Canada became the second central bank (after New Zealand) to adopt inflation targeting.

Low and stable inflation sounds good, and its predictability is an advantage, but over time it created problems for financial stability.

Low and stable inflation has seen investors increase leverage to boost returns and consumers ramp up borrowing. Countries have taken on excessive debt loads, which all fed into the financial crisis.

But also, low and stable inflation has allowed interest rates to stay low, and this doesn’t leave a lot of room for monetary policy to come to the rescue with rate cuts to spur the economy.

Poloz also pointed to how changes in global inflation are starting to account for a greater portion of domestic inflation, which is a difficult challenge for central banks.

“Inflation targeting has served us well, and we remain committed to the concept,” said Poloz, adding, “We need to develop a monetary policy framework that integrates inflation risks and financial stability risks.”

The Bank of Canada’s inflation-targeting agreement with the federal government is scheduled for renewal in 2016.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1261738-bank-of-canadas-poloz-committed-to-targeting-inflation/feed/0Toronto: Large Tunnel Between Rexall Centre, York University Discoveredhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260786-toronto-large-tunnel-between-rexall-centre-york-university-discovered/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260786-toronto-large-tunnel-between-rexall-centre-york-university-discovered/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 22:54:14 +0000Jack Phillips, Epoch Times]]>Toronto authorities are puzzled after discovering a large, sophisticated tunnel between the Rexall Centre and York University.

The CBC reports that the tunnel was dug underneath woods near the two facilities. A Toronto Region Conservation Authority employee found the tunnel …

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Toronto authorities are puzzled after discovering a large, sophisticated tunnel between the Rexall Centre and York University.

The CBC reports that the tunnel was dug underneath woods near the two facilities. A Toronto Region Conservation Authority employee found the tunnel by the TRCA headquarters at 5 Shoreham Dr. in January.

The tunnel was filled in by officials. Before it was filled, it had lights and was powered by a generator.

It’s unclear what the tunnel was used for.

The summer’s Pan Am Games will be held at the Rexall Centre.

Ray Boisvert, who is the former assistant director of intelligence at CSIS, told the CBC that the discovery is odd.

“First and foremost is the question around the context of the tunnel — where it is positioned? How deep was it? How accessible was it? And what sort of things could be sent through that tunnel, being people or material,” Boisvert was quoted as saying.

(Google Maps)

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260786-toronto-large-tunnel-between-rexall-centre-york-university-discovered/feed/0Canadian MP Irwin Cotler Backs Calls for End to Forced Organ Harvesting in Chinahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260193-canadian-mp-irwin-cotler-backs-calls-for-end-to-forced-organ-harvesting-in-china/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260193-canadian-mp-irwin-cotler-backs-calls-for-end-to-forced-organ-harvesting-in-china/#commentsMon, 23 Feb 2015 15:34:45 +0000Epoch Times Staff]]>OTTAWA—Liberal MP and former Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler rose in the House of Commons on Feb. 19 to give voice to demands that the Chinese regime end its practice of killing prisoners of conscience and harvesting their organs.

Cotler, …

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OTTAWA—Liberal MP and former Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler rose in the House of Commons on Feb. 19 to give voice to demands that the Chinese regime end its practice of killing prisoners of conscience and harvesting their organs.

Cotler, the Liberal Party’s critic for rights and freedoms and international justice, tabled six petitions on behalf of some 3,000 Canadians concerned about forced organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist regime.

In December 2013, Cotler also tabled a private member’s bill to restrict organ harvesting but would need government support to see it more forward.

The petitions called on the Canadian government to implement measures to push for an end to the Chinese regime’s practice of killing Falun Gong practitioners for their organs. They also call for changes to Canadian legislation, like those tabled by Cotler, to combat forced organ harvesting.

The petitions urge the Canadian government to call on the Chinese regime to end the practice of forced organ harvesting. According to a series of investigations dating back to 2006, many of those killed are Falun Gong adherents jailed for their spiritual beliefs. Investigative journalist Ethan Gutmann detailed some of those cases in his recent book “The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem.”

The Canadian government has raised the issue at the United Nations on China but the petitioners are calling for further action.

“Forced organ harvesting has resulted in the deaths of some tens of thousands of prisoners, as documented by experts Ethan Gutmann and Damon Noto, international human rights lawyer David Matas, former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) David Kilgour, and the organization Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting,” reads a statement from Cotler.

The MP has worked with members from other parties to research the issue at the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Human Rights, of which he is vice-chair.

The subcommittee has expressed “deep concern over credible allegations that prisoners of conscience and members of religious and ethnic minority groups in the People’s Republic of China”—particularly Falun Gong practitioners—”are being executed for the purposes of harvesting and transplanting their organs.”

“I am pleased to stand in solidarity with these petitioners and with the many Canadians who are horrified by this brutal assault on human rights,” said Cotler.

“I urge the government to pass legislation along the lines of my Bill C-561, which would further restrict organ trafficking, and to raise this issue with Chinese officials at every opportunity.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1260193-canadian-mp-irwin-cotler-backs-calls-for-end-to-forced-organ-harvesting-in-china/feed/0Attorney: Canada Businessman Home After Released by Cubahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1258494-attorney-canada-businessman-home-after-released-by-cuba/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1258494-attorney-canada-businessman-home-after-released-by-cuba/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 20:12:54 +0000Associated Press]]>HAVANA—A Canadian automobile executive imprisoned in Cuba on corruption charges for more than three years was released Saturday after Cuba’s government ended a case that it called a demonstration of the fight against bribery and critics said was a warning …]]>HAVANA—A Canadian automobile executive imprisoned in Cuba on corruption charges for more than three years was released Saturday after Cuba’s government ended a case that it called a demonstration of the fight against bribery and critics said was a warning against doing business here.

Cy Tokmakijian’s case was seen by some as a loose end in the U.S.-Cuba deal late last year that led to the release of three Cuban intelligence agents in exchange for U.S. contractor Alan Gross and CIA spy Rolando Sarraff Trujillo. Canada and the Vatican hosted key talks in 18 months of negotiations leading up to the exchange, which was accompanied by a joint move to restore full diplomatic relations between the countries.

Canadian officials declined to comment on whether the deal boosted to their efforts to win freedom for Tokmakjian, who was serving 15 years after his arrest in a 2011 anti-graft drive that swept up Cuban officials and foreign business executives from at least five nations.

Tokmakjian, 74, was sentenced in September and his representatives said that firm managers Claudio Vetere and Marco Puche got shorter sentences. Their whereabouts were not immediately clear Saturday.

Tokmakjian family says his prosecution was an excuse to seize his Ontario-based Tokmakjian Group’s $100 million in assets in Cuba. Some potential investors in Cuba said the case made them wary of Cuba’s drive to draw billions in new foreign investment.

“Cy returns home in good health, fantastic sprits, and is looking forward to spending time with his family,” lawyer Barry Papazian said.

Foreign business people have long considered payoffs ranging from a free meal to cash deposits in overseas accounts to be an unavoidable cost of doing business in Cuba. They have skeptically greeted government assertions that rooting out rampant corruption is among the country’s highest priorities.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y.— The winter’s deep freeze has transformed Niagara Falls into an icy spectacle, encasing the trees around it into crystal shells and drawing tourists who are braving below-zero temperatures.

The Niagara River keeps flowing below the ice cover, so the falls aren’t completely frozen over. But the massive ice buildup near the brink has become a tourist magnet for the second straight year after several relatively mild winters.

Visitors have been flocking to Niagara Falls State Park, next to the American Falls, one of three waterfalls that make up the natural attraction. Days of subzero temperatures have created a thick coating of ice and snow on every surface near the falls, including railings, trees and boulders.

Police were notified of the boy’s disappearance at 7:30 a.m. by family members who said they woke to find him gone and …

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TORONTO—A 3-year-old Toronto boy died Thursday after wandering away from an apartment building into bitterly cold weather overnight.

Police were notified of the boy’s disappearance at 7:30 a.m. by family members who said they woke to find him gone and the front door open. They said they’d last seen him in his bed Wednesday night.

Security camera video showed the boy, Elijah Marsh, leaving the building at about 4 a.m. After a massive search, he was found just after 10 a.m. in a nearby yard. He did not show any vital signs, and was rushed to the hospital. Police later announced his death on Twitter.

“You see the picture of that beautiful little boy with a nice smile and the video of the child going out into the cold,” Toronto police chief Bill Blair said. “It really is a tragic set of circumstances.”

Temperatures dipped to as low as minus-20 Celsius (minus-4 Fahrenheit) during the six hours Elijah was outdoors.

Driverless cars are among the first wave of new disruptive technology that will change every facet of our society. Virtual reality, autonomous robotics, and countless other technologies will …

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PARLIAMENT HILL—The future is racing toward us, and no one is driving.

Driverless cars are among the first wave of new disruptive technology that will change every facet of our society. Virtual reality, autonomous robotics, and countless other technologies will arrive in short order, but are we ready?

Nearly half the jobs of today are up for automation within 20 years or sooner, according to an Oxford University study. At this point, the federal government can’t say how it is preparing.

Self-driving cars will arrive within two years. They’ll be able to handle highway driving in some weather conditions. Within five years, fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) will be on the roads in some jurisdictions. By 2030 they could outnumber cars with human drivers.

This means that in Canada, some 560,000 professional drivers will be out of work, notes a recent Conference Board of Canada report.

While the opportunities of new technology are being widely touted, the question becomes what happens to those who can’t adapt.

Race to Disruption

The Conference Board predicts AVs will give the economy a $65 billion boost by saving Canadians 5 billion hours of driving time, reducing collisions, and cutting congestion on the roads.

Car ownership could change dramatically as millennials, who are already disinclined to buy cars, have a cheaper option. While the taxi industry faces its demise at the hands of Uber, Uber drivers, who complain of meagre earnings, face their end with the arrival of AVs.

Those out-of-work drivers could soon be joined by the majority of people working white- and blue-collar jobs at the lower end of the ladder.

No one really knows exactly where this technology is all going.— NDP industry critic Peggy Nash

A 2013 Oxford University study, “The Future of Employment,” examined 700 job types in the U.S. (nearly identical to Canada) and found nearly half could be computerized within around 20 years. The first wave of automation includes AVs replacing many transportation and logistics jobs. White-collar jobs are no safer, either.

“The bulk of office and administrative support workers, and labour in production occupations, are likely to be substituted by computer capital,” reads the study.

Big data, able to analyze complicated routines and find patterns, will even computerize legal writing, the study predicts. Where machines and robots take giant chunks out of the middle-class job market, computerization will lop off the lower-paying jobs left behind.

The impacts of this imminent upheaval are hard to predict given uncertain timelines, but some governments, including that of the U.S., have put resources into persistent forecasting of disruptive technology. In Canada, some federal government departments do some forecasting, but there isn’t a broad interdepartmental effort to forecast disruptive technology, though Industry Canada says it is paying attention.

The National Research Council is more involved in predicting and preparing for disruptive technology through its emerging technologies division, but could not provide someone to speak to the topic by press time.

Rapid Pace of Change

The trendlines are already well established. Robotics and international competition will put increasing pressure on Canadian firms to cut costs and automate jobs.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Ed Holder declined immediate comment on what role government has dealing with these changes.

In most cases, the impacts of disruptive technologies would need to be handled on a case-by-case basis, but with widespread automation imminent, a holistic approach seems appropriate.

NDP Industry critic Peggy Nash said the pace of change makes it difficult to come to grips with the implications of new technology, be it on privacy, jobs, or the broader society.

It’s a reality that we are all going to have to face., Van Horne Institute— Peter Wallis

“No one really knows exactly where this technology is all going, but it has the potential to dramatically change the way we interact as people and the way we run our economy,” she said.

Nash said governments focus on the problems before them, areas that need laws or regulation today, not so much what might need regulation tomorrow. Evidence of that comes from the fact that Transport Canada is taking a wait-and-see approach to automated cars.

“Although Transport Canada is not directly conducting research on self-driving cars, the department is monitoring ongoing research efforts undertaken by colleagues around the world,” reads an emailed response from Transport Canada.

The Conference Board has called for a more proactive approach by governments at all levels to pave the way for AVs and incorporate their pending arrival into infrastructure projects now being planned.

“They must begin to understand how profoundly AVs will impact their cities and Canadian society,” reads the report, released last month.

“This report is a clarion call for Canadians to begin to appreciate what is about to happen to them.”

Peter Wallis, the president and CEO of the Van Horne Institute and a contributor to the report, says he hopes the government is taking a high-level look at technological disruption, including widespread automation.

“It’s a reality that we are all going to have to face,” he said.

He suggested individual government departments could regularly share their forecasts to create a wider understanding of what’s on the horizon and create legislation and regulations to let the new technology flourish.

Something similar to this happens to a limited degree within the Privy Council Office, but Industry Canada couldn’t describe a more formalized process that would seem to fall within its mandate.

That said, the government has been very aware of the competitive threats Canada faces. Industry Canada’s 2014 technology strategy “Seizing Canada’s Moment” lays out in broad strokes how Canada can capitalize on technological change, including investment in research and development and training Canadians for the jobs of tomorrow.

Inequity

Companies will rely more on expensive capital investments like robotics and less on human labour, which could contribute to an overall decline in jobs.

Nash says it is a long-standing trend that raises questions about how we use technology.

“Robotics and manufacturing could have been used to give people greater leisure time, which was the expectation a generation ago,” she says. “But instead what we have seen is a huge disruption in the workforce where the benefits have not been shared equitably.”

The growing gap between the rich and the poor has come as manufacturing jobs give way to lower-paying service jobs which will soon be obsolete.

I think it is exciting, I don’t think it is unsettling.— Entrepreneur Zack Kanter

What comes next for those who don’t have the education or entrepreneurial know-how to adapt?

Amazon—a leader in the new economy of doing more with fewer people, including using unmanned delivery drones when the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration inevitably approves the plan—has given one possible preview.

Amazon’s Mechanical Turks has been operational since 2005, a crowdsourcing job market where workers take on piecemeal work like filling out surveys, cropping photos, or transcribing receipts for pennies apiece. Turkers, as they are called, come from all around the world. Those in North America have a hard time even making the minimum wage, though Turkers in poorer countries may find those earnings very appealing.

With free trade agreements now including trade in services, the experience of Turkers could be a preview of bottom-tier jobs of the future.

Rise of the Individual

But there is an upside for those who can adapt.

The new economy makes an individual exponentially more impactful, says Zack Kanter, a serial entrepreneur and amateur futurist of sorts. He owns several businesses, including Proforged, an online auto parts company that contracts a Taiwanese company to build high-end chassis parts for muscle cars.

It’s the kind of specialized manufacturing company impossible a generation ago.

Kanter sees a polarization afoot. That gap between the rich and the poor will continue to grow and as the lower and middle parts of the job spectrum are automated, engineers and others who adapt to the new order will have a greater impact.

“I think it is exciting, I don’t think it is unsettling,” he said.

People like Kanter, who can see and act on opportunity, can leverage all that cheap automation and online ability to create businesses easier than ever. And for creatives who can find an audience, they can reach an entire world, working collaboratively with other creatives and crowdfunding their productions.

“A person today is more amplified than they have ever been before,” he said.

Kanter suggests people should be learning to write computer code as a commonplace skill, and likely learning other spoken languages as well.

“I think for someone that wants to be productive and make an impact on the world, there has never been a greater opportunity than today.”

And for those who can’t quite catch the wave, life might not be so bad, in Kanter’s view at least.

Worst-case scenario, they exist on welfare drinking Soylent, a recently marketed long-term meal replacement drink named tongue-in-cheek after the cannibalistic beverage in the 1973 distopic film “Soylent Green.”

They might live in a tiny rundown apartment but not care that much, says Kanter, thanks to another disruptive technology that will upend existing business models—virtual reality.

Coincidentally, Facebook-owned Oculus Rift, widely held as the leader in virtual reality technology, makes its consumer debut later this year.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255647-robot-economics/feed/0Alberta Politician Says Deporting Paralyzed Worker Would be Inhumanehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256380-alberta-politician-says-deporting-paralyzed-worker-would-be-inhumane/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256380-alberta-politician-says-deporting-paralyzed-worker-would-be-inhumane/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 18:58:42 +0000The Canadian Press]]>EDMONTON — An Alberta Tory backbencher says more needs to be done to help a temporary foreign worker who has been ordered out of Canada after being paralyzed in a road accident.

Thomas Lukaszuk says forcing Maria Venancio to return …

]]>EDMONTON — An Alberta Tory backbencher says more needs to be done to help a temporary foreign worker who has been ordered out of Canada after being paralyzed in a road accident.

Thomas Lukaszuk says forcing Maria Venancio to return to her native Philippines because she can’t work would be “inhumane” and “un-Canadian.”

In 2011, Venancio was struck by a car while biking to her job at an Edmonton McDonald’s.

Since then, Venancio has technically been in Canada illegally since the rules of the TFW program state that if she can’t work, she must return to the Philippines.

Venancio’s lawyer says her contract with McDonald’s entitled her to some medical benefits, but he says she did not receive them so they are looking for compensation from the fast-food franchise.

Lukaszuk says she’s getting free treatment through a research program at the University of Alberta Hospital, but because she doesn’t have an Alberta Health Care number, she isn’t covered for diagnostic tests such as MRIs.

“These doctors are treating her somewhat in the dark, not being able to do what they would do for you and me,” says Lukaszuk.

Venancio’s lawyer, Chris Bataluk, says she would not get the same medical care in her native Philippines and adds that because she comes from a rural area, getting around in a wheelchair or getting a job there would be difficult.

Venancio has applied to become a permanent resident, with her future now in the hands of the Canada Border Services Agency. A date for that hearing has not yet been set.

Although terrorism is a real threat, the planned federal law is vague, ineffective and goes too far, NDP Leader Tom …

]]>OTTAWA—The NDP will oppose the Conservative government’s proposed anti-terrorism bill, saying it endangers Canadian liberties while failing to improve security.

Although terrorism is a real threat, the planned federal law is vague, ineffective and goes too far, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told a news conference Wednesday.

“It doesn’t do things that are proven to work and puts politics ahead of protecting Canadians,” Mulcair said, ending weeks of speculation on the party’s stance.

“We cannot protect our freedoms by sacrificing. New Democrats have a different vision. Freedom and public safety have to go hand-in-hand. We will hold true to our principles and oppose this dangerous, over-reaching legislation.”

The bill, tabled late last month in response to the daylight murders of two Canadian soldiers, would give the Canadian Security Intelligence Service more power to thwart suspected terrorist plots.

It would also make it easier for the RCMP to obtain a peace bond to restrict the movements of suspects and extend the amount of time they can be kept in preventative detention.

In addition, it creates a new criminal offence of encouraging someone to carry out a terrorism attack.

“Experts warn that broad measures in this bill could lump legal dissent together with terrorism,” Mulcair said. “And the bill would give significant new powers to CSIS without addressing serious deficiencies in oversight.”

Mulcair advocates a parliamentary committee with the power to review secret documents like the ones that oversee spies in Britain and the United States. He said the NDP wants to ensure the bill doesn’t get rammed through Parliament.

“So that means having the proper time in parliamentary committee.

Let’s listen to the experts,” he said.

“We’re going to be proposing amendments, and we hope that the government’s going to be listening and not playing politics with this.”

Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have said they will vote for the bill, despite concerns it does not include new watchdog powers to guard against abuses.

Trudeau said he will push for amendments to strengthen intelligence oversight and, if that proves unsuccessful, usher in the changes should the Liberals form the next government.

Mulcair called the stand “pathetic” and urged the Liberals to reconsider.

“This bill merits real debate,” Mulcair said. “Mr. Harper and the Conservatives have intimidated the Liberals into supporting this deeply flawed legislation. We in the NDP are going to fight it.”

He likened his party’s stand to former leader Tommy Douglas’ steadfast opposition to the War Measures Act, invoked by Trudeau’s father Pierre, the Liberal prime minister during the October 1970 FLQ crisis.

“It took much courage to stand up at that time,” Mulcair said.

Trudeau characterized Mulcair’s words as a personal attack.

There are concrete measures in the bill that will strengthen public safety, and that’s why the Liberals support it, Trudeau said Wednesday. Appropriate oversight and review mechanisms should address Liberal concerns, he added.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256376-mulcair-ndp-will-oppose-dangerous-over-reaching-anti-terrorism-bill/feed/0Bridging the Digital Gaphttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255601-bridging-the-digital-gap/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255601-bridging-the-digital-gap/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 18:31:32 +0000Justina Reichel, Epoch Times]]>Anyone who has tried to call a grandparent over Skype for the first time knows that technology is not always intuitive for the older generation.

But a project led by a group of Ontario high school students is helping to …

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Anyone who has tried to call a grandparent over Skype for the first time knows that technology is not always intuitive for the older generation.

But a project led by a group of Ontario high school students is helping to change that by teaching seniors basic computer skills. It is a step toward closing the digital—and the generational—divide.

A few months ago a group of grade 12 students at St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School in Oakville started tutoring local seniors on technology 101: how to use email, Skype, social media, and other basic Internet functions.

The program, led by the school’s Grads Giving Back committee, is helping seniors connect to loved ones online and giving them a new sense of independence, says teacher Sherida Scott, who helped launch the initiative.

“They want to connect to their families who they might not get to see a lot,” says Scott. “So what we’re seeing is that not only are they building their skills and learning how to use technology, but I think it’s been really enriching for them.”

We are learning how to connect and communicate to people of a different generation., Grads Giving Back— Melissa Kodama

Originally intended to be a temporary workshop for residents of Oakville’s Delmanor Glen Abbey Seniors’ home, the program has received so many requests from other local seniors that tutoring sessions have been expanded to meet the demand. Scott says some seniors are so eager to learn they have come to the school personally in order to seek out a tutor.

The response challenges the notion that seniors prefer to be bystanders in the digital age. According to Statistics Canada, the number of seniors using the web grew by 20 percent between 2010 and 2012, with 48 percent of Canadians 65 or older saying they went online in 2012. Figures are even higher in the U.S., with 59 percent of seniors online by 2012.

Many of the seniors in the Grads Giving Back program have never used a computer before, but with minimal training and time, the students are able to teach them enough to change their lives, says Scott.

“Just going over for an afternoon to help these seniors—it doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference in someone’s life,” she says.

“Once you learn a little bit about the Internet the whole world can open up for you.”

New Experience for Students

The grad program is also bridging the generation gap in some unexpected ways. Some of the students have formed lasting relationships with the seniors and regularly meet or chat on the phone. It seems the rare opportunity for the younger generation to teach their elders has opened a channel of dialogue as well as mutual respect.

“The seniors are gaining immense amounts of knowledge, but from the perspective of the teenagers, we are learning how to connect and communicate to people of a different generation,” said Melissa Kodama, co-events director of Grads Giving Back.

“Many of the teens most likely never have been to a senior’s home, or rather only gone to one to visit their grandparents, and so this was a new experience talking to people we wouldn’t normally make conversation with. I personally learned that the seniors are extremely interesting and knowledgeable… I learned a lot about their lives and their past, since they especially love to talk.”

The experience is similar to that in the film “Cyber Seniors,” a Toronto-shot documentary that inspired the Grads Giving Back program. Released last year, the critically acclaimed film chronicles the journey of a group of senior citizens as they discover the Internet through the guidance of teenage mentors.

The documentary sparked a movement across North America with the Connecting Generations campaign, which asks youth mentors to take the lead in bridging the technology gap and help seniors widen their social and physical environments.

This message has clearly resonated with Kodama, who will be mentoring another group of seniors with Grads Giving back this spring.

“Seniors are not up to date with our fast-paced technological world and not a lot is being done about it,” she says. “I wanted to help in a small way to minimize the gap between the seniors and us and bring the two very different worlds together.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255601-bridging-the-digital-gap/feed/0New Windsor-Detroit Bridge: Canada-US Funding Logjam Breakshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255738-new-windsor-detroit-bridge-canada-us-funding-logjam-breaks/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255738-new-windsor-detroit-bridge-canada-us-funding-logjam-breaks/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 16:39:03 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA—The federal government says it has reached a funding arrangement for a major new bridge between Canada and the U.S. after years of sometimes-acrimonious delay.

Canada had already been planning to pay for 95 percent of a new bridge between …

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OTTAWA—The federal government says it has reached a funding arrangement for a major new bridge between Canada and the U.S. after years of sometimes-acrimonious delay.

Canada had already been planning to pay for 95 percent of a new bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, and now there’s an agreement that would cover the remaining portion for a customs plaza on the U.S. side.

The project won’t cost Canadian taxpayers because the funds will be recouped through tolls and a public-private partnership, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt insisted Wednesday as she made the announcement in the House of Commons.

“I think it is important to note as well that the entire amount will be compensated,” Raitt said. The funding model would work one of two ways: the construction costs will either be covered by a private company, or the Canadian government will help finance the project with the expectation that it would be repaid in toll profits.

The U.S. announced Wednesday that it’s committed to the project. The Department of Homeland Security said it expects to spend $50 million a year to staff the plaza with customs agents.

I think it is important to note as well that the entire amount will be compensated.— Transport Minister Lisa Raitt

While construction has already begun on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, considerable steps still need to be taken to break ground on the American side.

Property has to be purchased on the American side of the bridge, which would link to a poverty-stricken Detroit neighbourhood with scores of abandoned houses.

The U.S. government also needs to provide technical specifications for its customs plaza—such as how many booths it will need, and what kinds of materials it would require.

One source—not authorized to discuss the details publicly and so speaking on condition of anonymity—said the goal is to have the new bridge operational in 2020.

The Canadian government had expressed frustration at having to wait for construction to start on the U.S. side of the estimated $4-billion project.

It even became the subject of a tongue-in-cheek segment on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” which explored the difficulties in getting U.S. approval for a bridge being paid for by Canada.

The Ambassador Bridge, the aging span that currently links Windsor and Detroit, handles one-third of all Canada-U.S. trade. The family that owns it has fought the new project in court. It has argued, unsuccessfully, that governments have no right to nudge them aside.

Detroit’s Moroun family has been buying up properties on the edges of the existing bridge in an effort to expand the span with a new, privately owned structure.

That has left neighbours complaining that the old bridge company had hurt property values in a historic Windsor neighbourhood, where it now owns a number of boarded-up homes.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255738-new-windsor-detroit-bridge-canada-us-funding-logjam-breaks/feed/0New App Lets Users Rent Workspace by the Hour in Busy Urban Centreshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255677-new-app-lets-users-rent-workspace-by-the-hour-in-busy-urban-centres/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255677-new-app-lets-users-rent-workspace-by-the-hour-in-busy-urban-centres/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 03:35:14 +0000The Canadian Press]]>TORONTO—Sarah Lazar, a self-employed graphic designer, can’t afford to rent a workspace on a permanent basis. But the 26-year-old Montreal resident needs somewhere to regularly meet with clients and her last attempt at holding a business meeting in a coffee …]]>

TORONTO—Sarah Lazar, a self-employed graphic designer, can’t afford to rent a workspace on a permanent basis. But the 26-year-old Montreal resident needs somewhere to regularly meet with clients and her last attempt at holding a business meeting in a coffee shop proved frustrating.

“There was nowhere to sit,” Lazar recalls. “There were people coughing up a lung … I was just so uncomfortable.”

Breather, a mobile app that allows users to rent private workspace by the hour, hopes to capitalize on the steady movement of people into the ranks of the self employed or working from home.

The service is available in Montreal, Ottawa, San Francisco and New York and will soon be launching in Toronto. So far, the site has about 50 locations and expects to have 200 spaces listed by July.

While the concept has started to gain steam in the U.S., Breather is one of the only apps to rent professional workspace by the hour in Canada.

While the concept has started to gain steam in the U.S., Breather is one of the only apps to rent professional workspace by the hour in Canada.

With Breather, users can rent a small workspace, usually in a downtown building, for rates ranging from $15 to $40 per hour depending on the city, the space and the time of day. The office spaces are furnished and equipped with Wi-Fi.

A temporary code to unlock the office door is sent to the user’s phone about 15 minutes before the reservation time.

It’s a familiar process for anyone who has ever used their smartphone to book a vehicle through car-sharing service Car2Go.

“I think of the phone as the key for everything,” says Julien Smith, one of the company’s two co-founders. “Some people call it the remote control for your life.”

Smith first jotted down the concept for Breather on a cocktail napkin while waiting for a friend at a bar in the spring of 2013. Since then he’s managed to raise more than $7 million in venture capital from firms such as Montreal’s Real Ventures and RRE Ventures, which has backed startups like BuzzFeed, the video-sharing service Vine and 3D printing company MakerBot.

For the past few years Smith has been steadily building a network of workspaces by seeking out underutilized rooms in office buildings. The landlord typically retains ownership of the space, and profits are split between Breather and the property owner.

Offices Have Many Uses

While the majority of Breather’s clients use the spaces for work, the offices have been used in less conventional ways as well, says Smith, such as by executives catching a nap between business flights or taking a break to breastfeed a baby.

Lazar, who runs a design firm called Cow Goes Moo, says Breather gives her access to creatively inspiring spaces that she couldn’t afford to rent on a full-time basis.

“I can’t have an office that beautiful. I can’t afford all the stunning furniture in there,” said Lazar, who has been a frequent client for the past few months. “It’s nice to go there for a few hours and pretend like it’s mine.”

A recent report on emerging trends in real estate by PwC predicts the office space industry will be “turned upside down” by the emergence of the sharing economy, in which people, especially millennials, borrow cars, beds, and other goods instead of owning them.

The success of Airbnb, an online community that allows users to rent out a portion of their homes for short-term stays, and ride-sharing service Uber are a testament to the popularity of the “collaborative consumption” model.

The concept can be profitable for landlords, allowing them to generate cash from vacant units. In many cases, renting out space by the hour fetches higher returns than long-term tenants would, says Smith.

Some of the spaces Breather has acquired in Manhattan used to rent for around $50 to $70 per square foot, says Smith. Now, they consistently bring in around $200 per square foot.

However, it remains to be seen how sustainable the concept will be over the long term, and finding vacant space in red-hot real estate markets has been a challenge.

“At the very beginning it was very hard to get space,” says Smith. “Now it’s turning around. People are offering us a lot of space and we’re able to be really selective about what we accept.”

The bill, introduced last spring by Quebec MP Lauren Liu, would ensure that all internships …

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OTTAWA—Parliament has opened debate on an NDP private member’s bill that would give unpaid interns workplace standards and safety protections under the Canada Labour Code.

The bill, introduced last spring by Quebec MP Lauren Liu, would ensure that all internships are linked to educational programs and are primarily of benefit to the intern, not the employer.

The proposed legislation would also limit the number of hours of work for unpaid interns, and provide them the right to refuse dangerous work. As well, it would prohibit companies from replacing paid work with internships.

Some “very profitable and powerful Canadian companies” are still abusing internships despite a growing public outcry, New Democrat MP Andrew Cash told a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 17, on Parliament Hill.

“We continue to hear very troubling stories from those who have done internships in large, very profitable corporations who were taken advantage of, forced to do work that was of little benefit to them or brought on simply as a replacement for paid workers.”

Unpaid internships, as far as I am concerned, are absolutely wrong.— Naguib Gouda, president of Career Edge

While some provinces—Quebec, Ontario and Alberta among them—provide some protections to unpaid interns, there are no laws covering federally regulated businesses that use free labour.

The Conservative government has signalled to stakeholders in recent weeks that it’s considering cracking down on the use of unpaid interns.

Cathy McLeod, the parliamentary secretary to Labour Minister Kellie Leitch, met in late January with several student, intern, and union groups to discuss what could be done about regulating unpaid internships.

Naguib Gouda, president of Career Edge, an organization that places paid interns at hundreds of organizations, is supporting the NDP legislation.

It’s important to provide equal access to employment opportunities for all Canadians, not just those with families who can support them, Gouda said in an interview.

What’s more, he added, paid internships stimulate the Canadian economy by ensuring young workers are earning and spending money and paying taxes.

The NDP bill has support from members of all three parties, including the Conservatives, he added.

“We have had our say, and I believe they get it.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255665-parliament-debates-bill-for-stiffer-protections-for-unpaid-interns/feed/0Magna Carta to Tour Canadahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255658-magna-carta-to-tour-canada/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255658-magna-carta-to-tour-canada/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 02:54:46 +0000Joan Delaney, Epoch Times]]>The Magna Carta, the document that set the groundwork for democracy, justice, and human rights, will come to Canada this year to mark its 800th anniversary, the government has announced.

The document and its companion, the Charter of the Forest, …

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The Magna Carta, the document that set the groundwork for democracy, justice, and human rights, will come to Canada this year to mark its 800th anniversary, the government has announced.

The document and its companion, the Charter of the Forest, will be exhibited at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa on June 11, before going on to Winnipeg, Toronto, and Edmonton.

Created in 1215, the Magna Carta, or Great Charter, was the first document in English jurisprudence to state that the monarch was not above the law. Written in Latin, it became the basis for freedom, democracy, and rule of law in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, including Canada.

“When the Fathers of Confederation came together at the Québec Conference in 1864, they were unanimous the new country should remain a constitutional monarchy based on the concepts expressed in the Magna Carta: freedom, democracy and the rule of law should be the birthright of every citizen,” Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, said in a statement.

No single document has had such a profound influence on the establishment of constitutional and human rights instruments around the world.— Former Speaker of the Senate Noel Kinsella

“This year, when we mark the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, we will celebrate everything that makes Canada strong, proud, and free.”

The Magna Carta came about as a way to make peace between the King of England—who was extremely unpopular—and his rebellious barons, his most senior subjects. King John was also at odds with the church at the time.

It was signed at Runnymede Meadow, near Windsor, in 1215, and although it went through many changes over the years, it was groundbreaking in that it sought to establish protections for the common man, and not just the privileged elite.

According to former Speaker of the Senate Noel Kinsella, the Magna Carta has had a powerful influence on human rights today.

“No single document has had such a profound influence on the establishment of constitutional and human rights instruments around the world,” he writes on his website.

“In addition to being a remarkable document for its day, the Magna Carta has actually come to mean more to future generations as the cornerstone of liberty and constitutional democracy.”

Kinsella noted that the document “has served as a precursor to such significant human rights instruments as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights.”

Lord Denning, the renowned British lawyer and judge who died in 1999, described the Magna Carta as “the greatest constitutional document of all times—the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot.”

Over the years, the document was refined into four key points: nobody is above the law; all are entitled to freedom from unlawful detention (habeas corpus); all have the right to a trial by jury; and widows could not be forced into marriage and give up their property—an early first step in women’s rights.

The Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest are being brought to Canada through the efforts of Magna Carta Canada, a non-profit charitable organization that has been granted the loan of documents for six months. They are owned by Durham Cathedral, located in Durham, England.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the move is being made in co-ordination with Canada’s partners in Europe and the …

]]>OTTAWA—Canada says it is intensifying economic sanctions against Russian individuals and companies in response to the tense situation in eastern Ukraine.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the move is being made in co-ordination with Canada’s partners in Europe and the United States in response to what he says is Russia’s backing of rebel forces in eastern Ukraine.

“Canada’s position remains clear: we recognize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and will never recognize the illegal Russian occupation of any part of the country,” Harper said in a statement.

“In co-ordination with our EU and U.S. partners, Canada is once again intensifying its response to the situation by announcing further sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities.”

He also announced sanctions and travel bans against 37 Russian and Ukrainian individuals, including Russia’s deputy minister of defence.

The announcement was made late Tuesday before a key rail hub in eastern Ukraine fell to separatist forces.

Harper said the government is monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk last week, and will “take further action against Russia and Russian-backed insurgents should they fail fundamentally to implement the provisions of this accord.”

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Affairs spokesman Alexander Lukashevich issued a statement suggesting the latest Canadian sanctions were meant to undermine that agreement.

“We assume that Harper’s government, which refuses to objectively assess the cause of and the course of events in southeastern Ukraine, is interested in playing along with the ‘party of war’ in (Kyiv) rather than overcoming the crisis,” Lukashevich said.

“Unilateral sanctions as a foreign policy instrument are in contradiction to international law. Regrettably, the basic tenets of international communication are ignored by a government that arrogantly promotes its country’s adherence to international law and order.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256378-ukrainian-conflict-canada-increases-sanctions-against-russia/feed/0Human Smuggling Laws Unconstitutional, Supreme Court Hearshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255626-human-smuggling-laws-unconstitutional-supreme-court-hears/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255626-human-smuggling-laws-unconstitutional-supreme-court-hears/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 02:45:22 +0000Kaven Baker-Voakes]]>The Supreme Court this week heard argument on five cases that could change how Canada defines both human smuggling and refugee claims. Given its potential impact, the case attracted interventions from law groups across the country.

Eight of the nine …

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The Supreme Court this week heard argument on five cases that could change how Canada defines both human smuggling and refugee claims. Given its potential impact, the case attracted interventions from law groups across the country.

Eight of the nine appellants in the cases are Sri Lankan refugee claimants who arrived in Canada aboard either the MV Ocean Lady or the MV Sun Sea in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The cases centre on the constitutionality of section 117 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which defines criminality for human smuggling.

The law currently criminalizes anyone assisting someone entering Canada without valid documentation as a human smuggler, including humanitarian workers assisting refugees fleeing persecution.

The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL), an intervener in the case, argued that the law is unconstitutional and means that those who are refugees might never be able to make their refugee claim, and might be deported or left in legal limbo.

The law currently criminalizes anyone assisting someone entering Canada without valid documentation as a human smuggler.

The association also argued that the cases are in conflict with section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedom, which protects life, liberty, and security of the person.

One of the cases involving a mother highlights the issue with current human smuggling definitions, says Andrew Brouwer, counsel for CARL.

“A mother flees the country with her child and then is charged with people smuggling because she brought her own child,” said Brouwer. “These provisions would encompass not just members of organized criminal gangs who exploit refugees and make a whole lot of money, but family members of refugees.”

Following the cases of the Ocean Lady and the Sun Sea, Canada toughened its human smuggling laws.

“We are concerned it is being overly broad that it captures all sorts of conduct that we wouldn’t normally consider human smuggling. It would capture family members helping each other escape persecution,” said Carmen Cheung, senior counsel for the BC Civil Liberties Association, another intervener in the case.

“Criminal Laws in general should be narrowly tailored to fulfill a certain purpose within a certain context and to capture a range of conduct that we are concerned about,” she adds.

“If the definition of human smuggling as it currently exists in the law is found to be constitutional, then these people—none that have made a profit on human smuggling and some that were simply providing a service on a ship they were being transported on—would be considered to be human smugglers.”

Kaven Baker-Voakes is a freelance reporter based in Ottawa.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255626-human-smuggling-laws-unconstitutional-supreme-court-hears/feed/0Quebec Education Minister Wants to Tighten School Strip Search Ruleshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256381-quebec-education-minister-wants-to-tighten-school-strip-search-rules/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256381-quebec-education-minister-wants-to-tighten-school-strip-search-rules/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 02:01:27 +0000The Canadian Press]]>Quebec—Education Minister Yves Bolduc says he wants to tighten the rules surrounding the controversial practice of strip searches of students in high schools in the province.

Bolduc said Wednesday that he’s ordered an independent expert to look into two such …

]]>Quebec—Education Minister Yves Bolduc says he wants to tighten the rules surrounding the controversial practice of strip searches of students in high schools in the province.

Bolduc said Wednesday that he’s ordered an independent expert to look into two such cases recently in Quebec—one in the provincial capital that has caused waves this week and another in the Beauce region.

Just one day earlier, Bolduc had said the practice was legal and therefore authorized, to the extent that it was conducted in a manner that was “very respectful” to the student.

Bolduc said in the legislature Tuesday that a strip search is permitted under “strict” guidelines and in a “respectful” manner when student security is at issue.

On Wednesday, Bolduc told the legislature he was taking the matter seriously and ordered an independent probe into the cases.

“We will judge on the facts of what needs to be done in the future,” said Bolduc, adding he’ll wait for a report before intervening.

The issue surfaced after a 15-year-old girl told the Journal de Quebec she felt violated after being strip-searched because the school suspected her of selling drugs.

Bolduc’s response drew the ire of the opposition parties, caused concern among educators and raised eyebrows of civil rights advocates right across the country.

Many contend the act was abusive and the teen’s parents were not
informed before the search on Feb. 12 at Neufchatel High School.
The girl’s mother told the newspaper she’s considering legal action, saying she considered the search “excessive.”

A spokeswoman for Bolduc said Wednesday the education department is verifying under what circumstances students can be strip-searched if school authorities suspect them of selling drugs.

The guidelines used in Quebec were drafted in 2010 in conjunction with the Quebec provincial police.

That document cites a 1998 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that school searches were permitted practice providing they are “reasonable.”

In that case, the high court ruled school officials are responsible for security on school property and said the search of a male student where a bag of marijuana was discovered hidden in his socks was not a violation of his constitutional rights.

The issue of strip searches in schools is not specifically mentioned, but Quebec policy noted the court ruled students cannot expect a full protection of their privacy while in school.

The Quebec policy states that “teachers and school authorities have the obligation to provide a safe environment and to maintain order and discipline.”

The Parti Quebecois says despite high court rulings, the Liberals should ban the controversial search practice outright. At the very least, it should be made clear that no such search take place without parental consent.

“We need parental consent. It is necessary that parents be notified.

We must not forget that these are minors,” said Nicole Leger, the PQ education critic.

The Quebec City school board said a student must be searched behind a curtain, the clothes given to a staff member to look over, and the student must never be touched or be seen naked by school officials.

The school principal in question said the girl’s clothes were searched and there had been no physical contact.

“These searches must follow a very strict protocol with specific conditions,” Bolduc had said Tuesday.

“And I would add, even though it’s not in the protocol, to add the human side, it must be done very respectfully.”

Premier Philippe Couillard said the government would first gather the facts before acting.

He vowed to take a closer look at the policy and revise them to ensure they recognize security concerns while respecting people’s
rights.

Also Wednesday, Quebec City police were investigating vandalism at the school, which was hit a graffiti overnight.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256381-quebec-education-minister-wants-to-tighten-school-strip-search-rules/feed/0Fix Bill Giving Wounded Troops Jobs Priority, Watchdogs Sayhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256379-fix-bill-giving-wounded-troops-jobs-priority-watchdogs-say/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1256379-fix-bill-giving-wounded-troops-jobs-priority-watchdogs-say/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 01:54:26 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA — The military’s watchdog urged the Senate on Wednesday to fix a bill intended to give wounded ex-soldiers first crack at federal civil service jobs, but the Harper government appears ready to allow it to go through as written.…]]>OTTAWA — The military’s watchdog urged the Senate on Wednesday to fix a bill intended to give wounded ex-soldiers first crack at federal civil service jobs, but the Harper government appears ready to allow it to go through as written.

Gary Walbourne, the Canadian Forces ombudsman, says National Defence should have the power to determine whether a soldier’s medical release is a result of military service.

“To have a process to determine what is already been determined, for me, just defies logic,” Walbourne told the Senate’s veterans affairs sub-committee, populated on Wednesday by mostly Conservative members of the upper chamber.

The legislation, which gives wounded troops the top statutory priority for federal jobs, deserves to be passed, said veterans ombudsman Guy Parent, who called on the committee to attach an “observation” to the bill noting the concerns of watchdogs before it comes up for a final vote.

Walbourne argued that National Defence is best suited to justify why a soldier is being given a medical discharge, not the veterans department, which should only assess the impact of the release on an individual.

Allowing Veterans Affairs to decide whether an injury is the result of military service could take as long as six months, delaying not only job applications, but also the distribution of benefits, Walbourne said.

What may seem like a bureaucratic squabble between departments has long been a major sore spot for ex-soldiers, some of whom were let go from the military only to find veterans affairs does not see their medical condition in the same way.

Kayleigh Kanoza, a spokeswoman for Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole, said the government “would like to see this bill brought into force as soon as possible,” but wouldn’t say whether it is prepared to entertain changes at this stage.

“We are committed to continuous improvement in our treatment of veterans, and look forward to seeing the Senate’s study,” she said in an email.

The Conservatives came under fire in 2013 after troops who were considered medically unfit complained they were being summarily released. The government responded by introducing legislation to bump those wounded soldiers to the front of the line for civil service openings.

Mike Blais, of Canadian Veterans Advocacy, said he can’t understand why the government would allow a flawed bill to become law when two of its watchdogs have already sounded the alarm.

“They just want to ram it through before the election, wrap themselves in the flag and say they’ve done something,” said Blais.

Liberal MP Marc Garneau, a former member of the military, said the Conservatives almost never amend their legislation and the opposition considers this is O’Toole’s first real test as minister.

“If the government really wants to send a strong signal that it is listening and that it does want to make change, everybody is going to be watching Mr. O’Toole to see if anything happens,” said Garneau.

Conservative Sen. Carolyn Stewart-Olsen said she’s been told that the two departments are already working together to make the transition between military and civilian life seamless and that “the red tape will be eliminated.”

Recent trends have seen a red-hot housing market in Alberta along with the big urban markets of Toronto and …

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Canada’s housing market has been cooling, led by Alberta, but Toronto and Vancouver are surging forward fuelled by lower borrowing costs.

Recent trends have seen a red-hot housing market in Alberta along with the big urban markets of Toronto and Vancouver driving the national-level overvaluation. However, Alberta is now driving the weakness in home sales with other metrics of the national housing market slowly following.

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) reported on Tuesday, Feb. 17, national home sales falling 3.1 percent from December to January. This is the second month in a row sales have declined notably.

“If these two markets are removed from national totals, combined sales activity remained 1.9 percent above year-ago levels,” he added. Instead, compared to year-ago levels, national sales were down 2.0 percent for January.

The fall in the price of oil has seen Alberta’s housing market take a sharp turn south. Housing inventory has doubled in the last year in Calgary as a result of new listings rising 37 percent and sales falling 39 percent. Edmonton’s inventory in January 2015 is up 35 percent from December 2014.

As a result, CREA’s measure of inventory has risen to a 6.5 months’ supply, the highest since April 2013. The sales-to-new listings ratio fell to 49.7, which is the first time this ratio has been below 50 since December 2012. It’s still in balanced territory, but the trend is clear.

Prices tend to lag sales and this is evident in that Calgary still shows the largest year-over-year price increase for January, at 7.76 percent, with Greater Toronto (7.47 percent) and Greater Vancouver (5.53 percent) following. CREA notes that while year-over-year price gains in Calgary are shrinking, those in Toronto and Vancouver are picking up, however.

The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) released mid-month housing figures on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and reported a 14.9 percent increase in the number of sales for the first two weeks of February as compared to the same period last year.

“While home prices are higher compared to this time last year, borrowing costs are lower. Home buyers are still finding affordable options to meet their housing needs,” said TREB president Paul Etherington in the press release.

The average selling price in Toronto for the first half of February was $602,110—a 10.3 percent year-over-year increase. The tight market conditions are approaching seller’s market territory, according to a Feb. 18 BMO special report on the housing market.

Vancouver’s home sales are up 8.7 percent from January 2014 and are nearly 15 percent higher than the 10-year sales average for January.

Effects of Rate Cut

The lower borrowing costs are seen in five-year fixed-rate mortgages (discounted rates) that are near their lowest levels in recent history (2.59 percent as of Feb. 17), according to data compiled by RateHub.ca.

The big six banks have only lowered their prime rates by 0.15 percent—not the full 0.25 percent by which the Bank of Canada cut its target for the overnight rate on Jan. 21.

The Bank of Canada decision was looking to take out some “insurance” to protect against the weakening macro economy, and the rate cut, a large, blunt tool the central bank can employ, is indeed expected to be beneficial on the whole.

However, some of the adverse effects of the rate cut may start exacerbating the situation in the hot markets of Toronto and Vancouver.

In Alberta, the cut should primarily help support aggregate incomes by reducing borrowing costs and trying to minimize unemployment in the region.

But for Toronto and Vancouver, where job losses due to a specific factor (oil prices dropping) aren’t the concern, the rate cut could mostly boost aggregate borrowing.

It’s a balancing act at the national level with potentially different results regionally.

“We suspect that with borrowing costs still plumbing the depths and many provincial economies holding up, any housing correction will be a specific regional affair,” wrote BMO chief economist Douglas Porter on Feb. 17.

Alfredo Barrios says aluminum prices, which have retreated since rising last year, are not encouraging investment at the moment because of excess smelting capacity.

But strong long-term fundamentals, including demand expected to grow through 2025 in part from the automotive sector, should eventually encourage new investments.

“If the market starts improving and the returns start remunerating the investments then there are a number of projects that we have across the world, even in Quebec, to potentially grow,” Barrios, who took the helm last June, told reporters.

He pointed specifically to a new Alouette smelter and expansion of its AP60 pilot project in Quebec.

“When the moment is right, Quebec is a clear place where we will be investing in smelting. That is where our core smelting business is.”

However, the 48-year-old former oil executive wouldn’t say how long it could take before these new projects could be built.

Barrios said Rio Tinto Alcan has been the only aluminum company outside of China and the Middle East to have invested heavily in recent years despite weak market conditions and low prices.

It spent more than US$7.5 billion in Canada over the past five years, including US$4.8 billion to modernize a smelter in Kitimat, B.C., that is set to open in the coming months.

Aluminum was Rio Tinto’s most improved sector last year, with underlying earnings increasing 124 percent to US$1.25 billion. However, iron ore remained by far the most important division, accounting for 87 percent of Rio’s profits.

Rio Tinto employs 13,000 people in Canada, while the aluminum division has about 18,000 in 27 countries, down from 21,000 three years ago.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1255332-rio-tinto-alcan-open-to-expanding-smelters-in-canada/feed/0Epoch Times Readers and Supporters Celebrate the Chinese New Yearhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1254156-epoch-times-readers-and-supporters-celebrate-the-chinese-new-year/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1254156-epoch-times-readers-and-supporters-celebrate-the-chinese-new-year/#commentsWed, 18 Feb 2015 02:20:13 +0000Adam Field, Epoch Times]]>EDMONTON—Epoch Times readers, sponsors, and supporters in Edmonton got an early start celebrating the Chinese New Year, with close to 300 guests attending the Epoch Times Chinese New Year Party at the Emperor’s Palace restaurant in downtown Edmonton on Sunday, …]]>

EDMONTON—Epoch Times readers, sponsors, and supporters in Edmonton got an early start celebrating the Chinese New Year, with close to 300 guests attending the Epoch Times Chinese New Year Party at the Emperor’s Palace restaurant in downtown Edmonton on Sunday, Feb. 15.

The dinner party celebrating the year of the goat started with a traditional Chinese lion dance followed by greetings from dignitaries.

“It’s truly an honour for me to bring greetings for Chinese New Year on behalf of all of my colleagues at the Parliament of Canada,” Brent Rathgeber, MP for Edmonton-St. Albert, told the guests.

Rathgeber said the day was particularly special as it was the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag.

“You’re probably asking yourself what does the Canadian flag and the Chinese New Year have to do with each other, and the answer may not be readily apparent,” he said.

With serious challenges facing the global print media industry today, what Epoch Times has achieved is nothing short of a miracle.— Shar Chen, president of Epoch Times in Edmonton

“But the Epoch Times of course is an international newspaper that publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages, and it promotes and practices Canadian values of freedom of expression and freedom of thought. So I certainly congratulate the Epoch Times for all the good work that you do in bringing truth and justice issues and human rights abuses that occur in China that the Chinese media is not allowed to cover.”

Originally established in the United States in 2000 as a Chinese publication, Epoch Times quickly grew to become the world’s most widely distributed Chinese-language newspaper. The English edition was first launched in 2003 on the web, followed by print in New York in 2004.

In Canada, the publication has been recognized for various achievements. It has twice received the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada award for “Excellence in editorial/free expression, best concept and visual presentation,” first in 2005 due in large part for being the first newspaper to report on the SARS outbreak in China while official state media denied the existence of the disease, and again in 2012.

In Edmonton, Epoch Times was first published in 2003, and is currently available in both English and Chinese in the city.

“After more than 10 years of effort, our newspaper has expanded from just a few pages at that time to over 40 pages now,” said Shar Chen, president of Epoch Times in Edmonton.

The event was marvellous, it was really awe-inspiring.— Farid Shivji, general manager of Lexus South Pointe

“With serious challenges facing the global print media industry today, what Epoch Times has achieved is nothing short of a miracle,” she said.

“The Epoch Times, while rooted in the community, cares about the world. We would like to be on top of what is happening in this world together with you, commenting on the current affairs and bring boundless hope to your life and career.”

Throughout the evening guests were treated to Chinese dance and musical performances, as well as a traditional Chinese couture show.

The trivia question and answer part of the event drew enthusiastic participation from the guests, with those who answered the questions correctly receiving gifts from sponsors. There were also draws for door prizes, courtesy of the sponsors.

Gerry Gilroy, founder of Independent Jewellers, the largest jewellery store in Canada, said he thoroughly enjoyed the event, and also commented on his experience advertising with Epoch Times.

“We’ve had very good luck with [Epoch Times], it works very well for us, and it [brings the] kind of the people that we want to meet, especially on the higher end stuff,” he said.

Farid Shivji, general manager of Lexus South Pointe, said he enjoyed celebrating the arrival of the Lunar New Year with Epoch Times.

“The event was marvellous, it was really awe-inspiring. The variety, the fashion show, the different cultural dances, and the music performance really showed us more of the culture. It’s always fascinating to be able to be part of such a beautiful event,” he said.

“We have a very good partnership with Lexus South Pointe and Epoch Times,” he added.

“I look forward to a very bright future for Epoch Times. Epoch Times definitely brings the demographics of the customers that we’re looking for in our business, so it’s a good relationship we share.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1254156-epoch-times-readers-and-supporters-celebrate-the-chinese-new-year/feed/0Canada Introducing Legislation to End Rail Strikehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1252473-canada-introducing-legislation-to-end-rail-strike/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1252473-canada-introducing-legislation-to-end-rail-strike/#commentsMon, 16 Feb 2015 17:56:30 +0000Associated Press]]>OTTAWA, Canada—Canada’s Conservative government on Monday was introducing legislation to force an end to a strike at Canadian Pacific Railway by more than 3,000 Teamsters members, saying the rail strike poses a threat to the economy.

The strike by locomotive …

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OTTAWA, Canada—Canada’s Conservative government on Monday was introducing legislation to force an end to a strike at Canadian Pacific Railway by more than 3,000 Teamsters members, saying the rail strike poses a threat to the economy.

The strike by locomotive engineers and other train workers began late Saturday after contract talks failed.

Labor Minister Kellie Leitch said the strike would cost the economy $205 million in GDP every week and the effects will hit everyone from commuters in Montreal to resource companies and farmers.

“Canadian employees, members of the public, international trade and our national economy will suffer,” she told the House of Commons, which was debating the process to rush through the back-to-work legislation once it is formally introduced later Monday.

In 2012, the government passed legislation to force an end to a nine-day railway strike. It was estimated then that a prolonged strike would cost the economy $540 million a week and halt shipments of grain, fertilizer, coal, cars and other goods.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1252473-canada-introducing-legislation-to-end-rail-strike/feed/0Canadian Police Foil Plot to Kill People in Halifaxhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1250115-canadian-police-foil-plot-to-kill-people-in-halifax/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1250115-canadian-police-foil-plot-to-kill-people-in-halifax/#commentsSat, 14 Feb 2015 00:19:55 +0000Associated Press]]>TORONTO—Canadian police say they’ve arrested three people in an alleged plot to kill people in a public place in Halifax.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement Friday a 19-year-old Canadian man and a 23-year-old woman from Geneva, …

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TORONTO—Canadian police say they’ve arrested three people in an alleged plot to kill people in a public place in Halifax.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement Friday a 19-year-old Canadian man and a 23-year-old woman from Geneva, Illinois had access to firearms and intended “to go to a public venue in the Halifax region on February 14th with a goal of opening fire to kill citizens, and then themselves.”

A senior government official said it is not terror related. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Police released few details but say they arrested three suspects. A fourth suspect, the 19-year-old man, was found dead at a residence when police entered a home.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Canada’s first case since 2011 will not affect Canada’s international beef trade because Canada …

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CALGARY, Alberta—A case of mad cow disease has been confirmed in a beef cow from Alberta, Canadian officials announced Friday.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said Canada’s first case since 2011 will not affect Canada’s international beef trade because Canada works under international protocols that allow for up to 12 cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, a year.

Previous cases badly damaged the country’s beef industry.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said no part of the animal’s carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems.

Ritz said the infected animal was not born on the farm where it was discovered. The CFIA said it is still trying to determine the cow’s history and how it became infected.

BSE is a fatal and untreatable wasting disease of the brain and nervous systems. Humans who eat infected beef can develop a fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Fewer than 250 human cases have been reported worldwide.

Canada’s first known case was discovered in 1993 in a cow from a farm near Red Deer, Alberta. The animal had been imported from Britain.

The first instance of BSE in a Canadian-born beef cow was in May 2003. It’s suspected that animal became infected through contaminated animal feed that contained a protein supplement made with ground meat and bone meal.

That case devastated Canada’s beef industry as more than 40 markets immediately closed their borders to Canadian cattle and beef products. Many of those markets have since reopened.

Testing of cattle was strengthened following the mad cow crisis and specified risk materials, such as brains and spinal columns, were banned for use in feed and other products.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1249597-canada-reports-a-case-of-mad-cow-disease/feed/0Amount of Land Devoted to Growing Vegetables Continues to Drophttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247706-amount-of-land-devoted-to-growing-vegetables-continues-to-drop/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247706-amount-of-land-devoted-to-growing-vegetables-continues-to-drop/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 04:41:40 +0000Kaven Baker-Voakes]]>The amount of land dedicated to growing vegetables continues to drop, with the latest figures from Statistics Canada showing a near 4 percent reduction in crop area last year compared to 2013 levels.

The figures are part of a larger …

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The amount of land dedicated to growing vegetables continues to drop, with the latest figures from Statistics Canada showing a near 4 percent reduction in crop area last year compared to 2013 levels.

The figures are part of a larger trend that has seen Canada lose nearly 34,255 hectares of vegetable-growing land since 2001. The growth in the area dedicated to fruit cultivation slowed in 2014 as well.

On an annual basis, the area Canada dedicated to tomato production in 2014 fell 32.5 percent, following the closure of the Heinz plant in Leamington, Ont. However, area dedicated to growing cucumbers and gherkins, green onions and shallots, and Chinese cabbage all increased. In 2014, Ontario accounted for nearly half (43.7 percent) of vegetable production, while Quebec comprised 37.3 percent.

Previous figures from Statistics Canada have shown that from 1971 to 2011, overall farming area has declined from 68.7 million hectares to 64.8 million hectares. The number of farmers has also seen a reduction of 25 percent from 1991 to 2011, to average 390,875 in 2011.

It is important to be always aware of the need for land and how precious a commodity it is and the need to protect it. , Canadian Horticultural Council— Anne Fowlie

“I think it is important to be always aware of the need for land and how precious a commodity it is and the need to protect it,” says Anne Fowlie, executive vice-president of the Canadian Horticultural Council.

“It’s managing the balance between whatever the other societal needs are, whether it is housing or urban sprawl, etc., and the land mass required to produce the food we need. I would suspect there wouldn’t be much of a debate among Canadians for the need and desire for domestic food production.”

Despite the drop in farming space used, however, overall production actually increased in part due to improved farming methods.

“While in some instances the numbers indicate there is less land in production, the land that is in production is far more effective and efficient because of land management practices and innovation on the part of the farmer,” explains Fowlie.

Although vegetable land use has declined, fruit production space has actually expanded during the same 2001 to 2014 period. Some areas such as British Columbia had been in decline in the years previous, but are now experiencing resurgence.

“It was declining over the last 15 to 20 years, it was going the other way,” said Fred Steele, president of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association. “A lot of the land that went out for tree fruit production went into grapes, and a lot of it is coming back. In B.C. there are a lot of changes going on.”

Lower yields were reported in the normally high fruit production areas of Ontario last year, while British Columbia accounted for the highest number of fruit sales in Canada. Total fruit sales were valued at $849 million. Similar to vegetable farming, fruit varieties and farming methods have vastly improved yields.

“We have gone to the high-density trees,” says Steele. “With the old trees we got 25-40 bins per acre, now you are getting 50-70 bins from the same area because of dwarf trees, highly productive trees, and root stocks.”

Kaven Baker-Voakes is a freelance reporter based in Ottawa.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247706-amount-of-land-devoted-to-growing-vegetables-continues-to-drop/feed/0Fighting Terror: Privacy vs. Securityhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247698-fighting-terror-privacy-vs-security/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247698-fighting-terror-privacy-vs-security/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 04:34:08 +0000Matthew Little, Epoch Times]]>Privacy is the circle of personal security that lets democracy flourish. It is the space that gives dissent room to grow and individuals an unguarded moment for truly free expression. It is the void where people can be themselves, unconcerned …]]>

Privacy is the circle of personal security that lets democracy flourish. It is the space that gives dissent room to grow and individuals an unguarded moment for truly free expression. It is the void where people can be themselves, unconcerned what their friends, family, or government may think.

It is also the dark corner where criminals lurk and terrorists hatch their plots.

Staving off future terrorist attacks and combating cyber crime have put police and intelligence agencies around the world at odds with the privacy of their citizens. Canada is no different, as evidenced by the Privacy Commissioner’s reaction to the government’s new anti-terror legislation, Bill C-51.

“This Act would seemingly allow departments and agencies to share the personal information of all individuals, including ordinary Canadians who may not be suspected of terrorist activities, for the purpose of detecting and identifying new security threats,” wrote Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien in a preliminary assessment on the day the act was tabled.

The commissioner, who declined further comment on the bill, wrote that the new powers called for more oversight of the government, raising a long-standing issue.

Without that oversight, the balance shifts further. While Canadians want to know what their government is doing, it is increasingly the case that the government knows what they are doing instead, and people don’t have the same ability to know what information their government is collecting on them, or what it will do with that information.

The government says the measures in C-51 are necessary to disrupt terrorist attacks on Canadian soil and make it easier for law enforcement agencies to detain suspected terrorists before they attack. Privacy advocates allege that terrorism is a cover to extend government surveillance.

The Liberals have criticized the bill but will back it, while the New Democrats likely will not. Green Party leader Elizabeth May says C-51 goes too far, as does an editorial in The Globe and Mail.

Privacy Not Well Understood?

Debate on the bill has yet to begin, but the legislation raises questions that have been circling within Canada’s online society since the Internet became our communication lifeline.

We live in an age where citizens sign away their privacy without a second thought to play Fruit Ninja, and gleefully help companies like Facebook buy and sell their life’s data to facilitate targeted advertising.

Privacy advocates worry that the average citizen doesn’t even understand what privacy means. Too many people shrug off the loss of privacy with the declaration that they have nothing to hide, as if their medical records, credit scores, and Internet browsing history are something they’d be willing to publicly broadcast.

Meanwhile, security hawks in democratic countries seem too eager to partake in mass surveillance of the kind authoritarian governments have zealously pursued. We live in an age when governments have the ability to monitor the digitized lives of their entire population.

While citizens object, they also give apps on their mobile phone permission to monitor their text messages and location, and even activate their microphone to see what they are listening to or talking about.

The digital age has turned online communication into the lifeblood of the global economy. It has transformed our lives into social media content streams. And it has created new avenues to cripple critical infrastructure and conspire for malicious intentions.

There are few generally accepted ways to deal with most of these problems. The main solution is defensive: Secure the data. That means encrypting emails, making complicated passwords, and having users exercise strict digital hygiene (i.e. not downloading shifty content or opening email attachments they weren’t expecting).

The problem is that the bad guys, if they really want to, can generally find their way around all those efforts. And if security reaches the point where cyber criminals can’t hack in, that also probably means terrorists and others have ways to secretly plot their deeds without security agencies being able to detect them.

That’s part of the reason why governments, including Canada’s, want private companies to cooperate with security forces to provide access to user data, including communications and metadata (facts about those communications, such as time, duration, point of origin).

The problem here is that governments and conglomerates generally want the same thing: easy access to the personal information of Canadians. Companies want it for profit, while governments want it for security purposes. Although both can make claim to using that information to provide important services, neither can say they asked for informed consent.

The coming debate on C-51 will bring these issues to the forefront, and will give the government a chance to explain how it intends to balance privacy rights and national security. It will also give critics a chance to explain the alternatives in an age when sticks and stones can still break bones, but the ones and zeroes of the digital world can lead to much worse.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247698-fighting-terror-privacy-vs-security/feed/0TransCanada Tells US State Dept. That EPA Got Keystone Assessment Wronghttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247675-transcanada-tells-us-state-dept-that-epa-got-keystone-assessment-wrong/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247675-transcanada-tells-us-state-dept-that-epa-got-keystone-assessment-wrong/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 04:22:33 +0000The Canadian Press]]>CALGARY—TransCanada Corp. is challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s view that the Keystone XL pipeline’s role in climate change must be reconsidered in light of the steep drop in crude prices.

Earlier this month, the EPA urged the U.S. State …

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CALGARY—TransCanada Corp. is challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s view that the Keystone XL pipeline’s role in climate change must be reconsidered in light of the steep drop in crude prices.

Earlier this month, the EPA urged the U.S. State Department to “revisit” its conclusion—drawn more than a year ago when the outlook for oil was much more bullish—that the oilsands would likely continue to be developed, with or without Keystone XL.

TransCanada, the Calgary-based company planning to build the US$8-billion conduit, wrote to the State Department on Tuesday to say it believes the EPA’s assessment is off base.

“TransCanada disagrees with any suggestion that the Department has not fully and completely assessed the environmental impacts of the proposed project,” CEO Russ Girling wrote.

“In addition, TransCanada rejects the EPA inference that at lower oil prices, the project will increase the rate of oilsands production growth and accompanying greenhouse gas emissions.”The State Department’s approval of the project is required because the pipeline crosses the Canada-U.S. border.

Keystone XL would connect with TransCanada’s existing Keystone network, which today delivers crude to the U.S. Midwest and Gulf Coast. It would provide a more direct route to the Gulf by cutting diagonally from the Saskatchewan-Montana border to Steele City, Neb.

In its letter, the EPA said the State Department should give more weight to a “low price scenario” outlined in last year’s environmental impact statement, which said sustained low oil prices at US$65 to US$75 a barrel could make oilsands producers more sensitive to transportation costs.

The thinking goes that when prices are higher, oil moves to market regardless of Keystone XL, mainly by rail. But when oilsands margins are squeezed to the extent they have been, the fact that rail is a more expensive transportation mode matters more to oilsands producers.

Girling doesn’t buy that logic.

“We don’t believe that any single pipeline will cause production of oil to accelerate or decelerate,” he told reporters on a conference call Wednesday, adding the cost of pipe versus rail is not the “primary driver” for oilsands output.

“There’s many other factors that go into that decision making for producers, be it technology, oil prices, operating costs and all those kinds of things which are constantly moving.”

In his letter, Girling noted that throughout the six and a half years TransCanada has been waiting on U.S. approval for Keystone XL, crude prices have ranged from US$39 a barrel to US$110 a barrel, yet oilsands production has grown.

The U.S. crude benchmark has been around the US$50 mark for most of 2015 so far. As for whether the EPA’s contentions will cause more delays for Keystone XL, Girling said it wouldn’t be unprecedented.

“We have basically seen this movie before where the Department of State has a desire to ensure that the record is complete.”

And if a decision on Keystone XL is pushed back once again, Girling said TransCanada will provide any information the State Department needs.

Meanwhile, the Republican-dominated House is expected to vote on a bill that will likely send the project to U.S. President Barack Obama, who has promised to use his veto power to prevent Congress from pushing through approval of the pipeline.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247675-transcanada-tells-us-state-dept-that-epa-got-keystone-assessment-wrong/feed/0Canada Worried About Spy Drones in the Arctic as Russia Beefs up Presencehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247659-canada-worried-about-spy-drones-in-the-arctic-as-russia-beefs-up-presence/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247659-canada-worried-about-spy-drones-in-the-arctic-as-russia-beefs-up-presence/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 03:52:20 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA—An assessment by the Chief of Defence Intelligence has taken an in-depth look at how Russia, or even China, could use drones to spy in Canada’s Arctic in a wide-ranging report that was quietly flagged to some of the country’s …]]>

OTTAWA—An assessment by the Chief of Defence Intelligence has taken an in-depth look at how Russia, or even China, could use drones to spy in Canada’s Arctic in a wide-ranging report that was quietly flagged to some of the country’s closest allies.

The heavily censored classified analysis was obtained by The Canadian Press under access to information legislation. The release comes as Russia moves troops into a northern base near the Finnish border as part of an extensive military buildup in the region.

The analysis, which was flagged to the so-called “Five Eyes” community of the U.S., Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, is significant because Canada lags behind many of its allies in terms of acquiring drones for surveillance.

Keeping watch over the North is becoming more important to western governments since Vladimir Putin’s government announced recently it is activating two motorized rifle brigades and possibly a marine brigade in the North, as well as establishing a major northern command headquarters.

“Russia and China do not currently possess land-based UAVs capable of conducting (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) against the Canadian Arctic,” said the April 12, 2013, assessment, written by the directorate of scientific and technical intelligence.

The intelligence assessment notes the proliferation of cheap, commercial drone technology, and goes on to say both Russian and Chinese forces could launch drones from ice floes, submarines or long-range bombers.

Russia has been known to place small research stations on floating sheets of ice as small as 700 metres in length.

The Harper government’s program to acquire drones has been mired in the defence bureaucracy. A few years ago, defence contractors Northrop Grumman pitched the idea of Canada acquiring high-altitude Global Hawk drones, which could fly above rough weather, but the plan fizzled with no result.

The country’s military operations commander said in a recent interview that the defence of Canada is the “No. 1 mission,” and Arctic security is a preoccupation.

“The Canadian Armed Forces is always in the Arctic,” said Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, who pointed to an increasing frequency of exercises and the presence of Canadian Ranger, an aboriginal reserve force that patrols the region.

“There are very few times in the year when we’re not conducting some sort of operation or training event.” The air force’s CP-140 Aurora surveillance planes are also active there, he said.

Echoing comments of other top commanders, Vance said he “finds it unlikely that we’ll be fighting a land battle in the Arctic any time soon,” given the severe weather.

An armed clash may be remote, but U.S. defence planners are worried about a sneak attack from the Far North. The threat is one of the reasons the Harper government is considering participation in the ballistic missile defence program.

But not all threats are the Cold War-era submarine-launched cruise missiles, and the report noted that drones will have to be monitored carefully as they increase in sophistication.

Other NATO countries are watching Russia’s northern sabre rattling with concern. Norway, for example, is planning to hold its largest military exercise since the Cold War next month.

NATO’s top commander, Gen. Philip Breedlove, in an interview last fall with The Canadian Press, said there have been discussions with Ottawa about the Russian build-up. But he indicated that he’s waiting to see if Putin’s government follows through with all of its plans.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247659-canada-worried-about-spy-drones-in-the-arctic-as-russia-beefs-up-presence/feed/0Ottawa Site ‘Right Location’ for Victims of Communism Memorial, Says Klimkowskihttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247562-ottawa-site-right-location-for-victims-of-communism-memorial-says-klimkowski/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247562-ottawa-site-right-location-for-victims-of-communism-memorial-says-klimkowski/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 02:48:41 +0000Limin Zhou, Epoch Times]]>OTTAWA—The chair of the group that spearheaded the Memorial to Victims of Communism soon to be built in Ottawa says the opposition to the monument’s location reflects a lack of knowledge and understanding about the issue as well as complacency …]]>

OTTAWA—The chair of the group that spearheaded the Memorial to Victims of Communism soon to be built in Ottawa says the opposition to the monument’s location reflects a lack of knowledge and understanding about the issue as well as complacency in the broader society.

The $5.5 million memorial is slated to be built on a site between the Supreme Court and Library and Archives Canada, with construction expected to start this year.

Ludwik Klimkowski, chair of Tribute to Liberty, the charity behind the creation of the memorial, says the 5,000-square-metre site is “one of the most pristine points in Ottawa” and the “right location” for the monument.

“The placement right next to the Justice Building and the Supreme Court of Canada is truly symbolic. That symbolism actually allows for justice to be delivered to those who found refuge in this country,” Klimkowski said in an interview.

Earlier this week, Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar asked Public Works Minister Diane Finley to reconsider the location of the memorial, saying it wasn’t appropriate to have it on Wellington St., “one of our major thoroughfares to tell our story as a country.”

“In terms of the narrative of our history, is this what we want to have given prominence? I don’t think it’s appropriate to have it there,” he wrote to Finley, according to the Ottawa Citizen.

The placement right next to the Justice Building and the supreme Court of Canada is truly symbolic., Tribute to Liberty— Ludwik Klimkowski

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson also voiced complaints about the location and the memorial, describing it as overwhelming, and saying the public wasn’t consulted.

In November 2013, the commission signed off on the present site, which had for years been reserved as the future location of a new building for the Federal Court.

“Some of the opponents are saying this site is reserved for the federal building,” Klimkowski said.

“Well, you know, the discussion about this federal building is 60, 70 years old. I have lived in Ottawa most of my adult life. That site has remained vacant ever since I got here, which is 25 years ago.”

Site ‘Speaks Volumes’

The memorial aims to create awareness of the horrors of communism and pay tribute to the more than 100 million people worldwide who perished under communist tyranny.

Klimkowski notes that 8 million Canadians trace their roots back to communist countries, and he believes that the site on Wellington St. “really speaks volumes about Canadian values, and about Canadian priorities.”

He points out that unlike the victims of the Holocaust, the victims of communism have never received any justice for the crimes of the world’s communist dictators.

“Finally the victims of communism, their descendents—really our friends, neighbours, our colleagues at work—are getting recognition in Canada because Canada’s story is nothing but the story of its people,” he says.

Klimkowski adds that those opposing the monument fail to recognize the fact that a lot of countries, such as Korea, Vietnam, and China, are still in the grip of communist regimes. He says memories of atrocities like the Tiananmen Square massacre have dimmed with the passage of time, leading people to become complacent.

“People just grew complacent. They want to put this out of mind and out of sight.”

Roller Luo, secretary general of the Federation for a Democratic China, who came to Canada from China in 1998, says he considers himself and all modern-day Chinese victims of communism.

He says the Chinese people have suffered at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party in various violent campaigns, including the Cultural Revolution, and that establishing a memorial to victims of communism at a prominent location is all the more important because it can serve as a warning.

“This monument does not only serve the purpose of commemorating the victims, it also warns Canadians that imposing the communist ideology has caused catastrophe and we should not let it happen again,” he says.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247562-ottawa-site-right-location-for-victims-of-communism-memorial-says-klimkowski/feed/0Walmart Canada Plans to Open Two New Stores This Yearhttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247533-walmart-canada-plans-to-open-two-new-stores-this-year/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247533-walmart-canada-plans-to-open-two-new-stores-this-year/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 01:39:57 +0000The Canadian Press]]>MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Wal-Mart Canada says it plans to expand seven stores and open two new ones this fiscal year.

The retailer will also convert 20 of its stores into supercentres by adding a grocery section.

Wal-Mart Canada estimates the …

]]>MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Wal-Mart Canada says it plans to expand seven stores and open two new ones this fiscal year.

The retailer will also convert 20 of its stores into supercentres by adding a grocery section.

Wal-Mart Canada estimates the cost at $230 million, with an additional investment of $75 million to expand its distribution network and $35 million on on e-commerce initiatives.

The news comes after U.S.-based retailer Target announced it is pulling out of Canada and will be shutting down all 133 of its Canadian stores.

Target acquired the leases from retailer Zellers back in 2010 and has said it will work with an advisor to sell them.

The expansion will bring Wal-Mart Canada’s store count to 396 by the end of January, 2016, consisting of 309 supercentres and 87 discount stores.

“Our mission is to provide multiple access points for customers to save money,” said Wal-Mart Canada president and CEO Dirk Van den Berghe.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247533-walmart-canada-plans-to-open-two-new-stores-this-year/feed/0Scientists Dispute Ethics of Alberta Study Using Wolf Cull Datahttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247529-scientists-dispute-ethics-of-alberta-study-using-wolf-cull-data/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247529-scientists-dispute-ethics-of-alberta-study-using-wolf-cull-data/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 01:37:37 +0000The Canadian Press]]>EDMONTON — Some scientists are calling Alberta’s wolf cull cruel and unnecessary and say researchers who used the program to gather data on its results violated professional ethics.

“We should be concerned when researchers impose suffering on wild animals and …

]]>EDMONTON — Some scientists are calling Alberta’s wolf cull cruel and unnecessary and say researchers who used the program to gather data on its results violated professional ethics.

“We should be concerned when researchers impose suffering on wild animals and advocate for such programs to continue,” says an article that ran this week in the journal Canadian Wildlife Biology and Management. “We believe this controversial study should never have taken place.”

The authors of the original study say they did nothing wrong in analyzing the cull results over eight years during which 841 wolves were shot from helicopters or poisoned by strychnine in an effort to keep up caribou numbers in areas heavily damaged by energy and forestry activity.

“We chose to implement a wolf management program to avoid the permanent loss of caribou populations,” said Dave Hervieux, a caribou biologist with the provincial government. He and his fellow authors have written a rebuttal to the criticisms.

“We wrote: ‘Here’s what we did and here are the results.’ What’s wrong with that?”

What’s wrong, said University of Victoria biologist Chris Darimont, is that neither strycchnine nor aerial gunning meet Canadian Council on Animal Care guidelines which the province and the University of Alberta support.

Shooting from helicopters produces a high number of wounded animals, said Darimont, a co-author of the critical paper.

Strychnine kills by stiffening an animal’s muscles until it strangles.

“Both these techniques are cruel and are specifically forbidden.”

Other methods exist to help the caribou, he said, such as maternity pens for pregnant cows.

Co-author Paul Paquet, also of the University of Victoria, said Hervieux and his colleagues not only used data the cull generated, but advocated for the program to continue.

“What they’re arguing is that this was a management cull and a management cull would be exempt from those guidelines. I don’t believe it is — and, if it is, I still don’t believe it’s morally right.”

Paquet said the authors should have distanced themselves from the cull. Instead, they concluded it should continue.

Hervieux said the caribou would be gone without removing wolves. At least half of any one area’s wolf population must be killed every year to have an impact, he said, and guns and poison are the only methods likely to work.

“Wolf population reduction that is less than that is of no benefit for caribou. It is a pointless loss of wolf life.”

Both sides agree that the real problem is provincial oversight that has allowed industry to ravage caribou habitat for more than a decade. While federal scientists say the animals need at least 65 per cent of their range to be left alone to survive, the region of one Alberta herd is 95 per cent disturbed.

“Who should we be blaming?” asked Stan Boutin, a University of Alberta biologist and co-author of the original study.

“One could step back and say, ‘Alberta government, your choice of full-scale development everywhere, any time has in some ways led us to this, and that’s partially true.

“But you could step further back and say, ‘Gee, I didn’t hear any Albertans or Canadians trying to block this at an earlier date when we were reaping the benefits of oil and gas.”

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247529-scientists-dispute-ethics-of-alberta-study-using-wolf-cull-data/feed/0Quebec Reports 10 Measles Cases Linked to Outbreak at Disneyland Parkshttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247514-quebec-reports-10-measles-cases-linked-to-outbreak-at-disneyland-parks/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247514-quebec-reports-10-measles-cases-linked-to-outbreak-at-disneyland-parks/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 01:24:06 +0000The Canadian Press]]>Health officials in Joliette, Que., have confirmed they have an outbreak of measles linked to the Disneyland theme part outbreak in the California.

A statement from the Lanaudiere health authority says so far 10 cases have been identified.

None of …

]]>Health officials in Joliette, Que., have confirmed they have an outbreak of measles linked to the Disneyland theme part outbreak in the California.

A statement from the Lanaudiere health authority says so far 10 cases have been identified.

None of the 10 were vaccinated.

The statement says that the 10 are known to be contacts of one another and all reside in the Lanaudiere region.

It does not state Disneyland by name, but says the first cases in the group contracted the virus during a visit to a park in California where other cases have been reported.

The statement does not indicate if the infected individuals are children, adults or a mix of the two.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes high fever, a distinctive rash and a runny nose; complications can include pneumonia, deafness and death in about one or two cases per 1,000 infected individuals.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says so far the Disneyland outbreak has involved 114 cases in seven U.S. states.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247514-quebec-reports-10-measles-cases-linked-to-outbreak-at-disneyland-parks/feed/0Trudeau Says Adams Must Prove Herself, Win Over Lots of Liberals http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247496-trudeau-says-adams-must-prove-herself-win-over-lots-of-liberals/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247496-trudeau-says-adams-must-prove-herself-win-over-lots-of-liberals/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 01:20:07 +0000The Canadian Press]]>OTTAWA — Tory defector Eve Adams’ willingness to prove her mettle in a difficult Toronto riding was a key part of the decision to welcome her into the federal Liberal party, Justin Trudeau says.

Adams confirmed Wednesday she intends to …

]]>OTTAWA — Tory defector Eve Adams’ willingness to prove her mettle in a difficult Toronto riding was a key part of the decision to welcome her into the federal Liberal party, Justin Trudeau says.

Adams confirmed Wednesday she intends to seek the Liberal nomination in Eglinton-Lawrence, hoping to take on Finance Minister Joe Oliver in the election scheduled for October.

She currently represents Mississauga-Brampton South but last year attempted to switch to the newly created Oakville North-Burlington riding, where she became embroiled in an ugly Conservative nomination fight last year.

She and her opponent were forced to withdraw amid allegations of dirty tricks on both sides. Late last month, the governing party barred her from running anywhere due to the alleged misconduct in Oakville.

In an interview Wednesday with Winnipeg radio station CJOB, Liberal Leader Trudeau conceded Adams’ baggage did give him pause when she approached him about switching parties.

“Certainly, there is always a reflection to be had around this. But Eve has been a very strong local voice, municipal councillor for many, many years, deeply committed to service.”

Trudeau indicated that Adams’ willingness to do some tough slogging in a difficult riding was central to his decision to welcome her into Liberal ranks.

“One of the things that we agreed is that she’s going to have to convince an awful lot of Liberals and local folks that she is the best voice for them… and then she’s going to take on someone who is a pillar of the Conservative party to demonstrate her strength and her value as a politician.”

Oliver did not appear overly concerned, noting in a statement that the Liberals have yet to nominate a candidate to run against him.

“In the meantime, I will continue to do what I have done for the last four years; represent the values and interests of the people of Eglinton-Lawrence,” he said.

Oliver may yet benefit from a split in Liberal ranks over Adams’ defection.

The riding’s provincial Liberal MPP, Mike Colle, told The Canadian Press on Tuesday it’s “preposterous” to think a former Tory from Mississauga can simply parachute into a riding and a party she knows nothing about.

In an interview Wednesday with Toronto radio station CP24, Adams said she has some family in the riding, worked there for a time and intends to buy a house in the constituency.

“I can tell you that I have received a great deal of local support but it is going to come down to meeting with people, winning them over and ensuring them that in fact I am here to work awfully hard and to advocate for them,” she said.

The riding was a Liberal stronghold until 2011 when Oliver defeated former Liberal cabinet minister Joe Volpe by a comfortable margin of about 4,000 votes.

Volpe had been considering running again but insiders say he’s decided to remain on the sidelines, as has his son, Flavio.

According to insiders, Adams met with Volpe on Tuesday and asked him to co-chair her campaign. He declined.

Lawyer Marco Mendicino has already been cleared by the Liberal vetting committee and has been campaigning for the nomination.

He is emphasizing that he’s a longtime Liberal with deep roots in the riding.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247496-trudeau-says-adams-must-prove-herself-win-over-lots-of-liberals/feed/0Hugs for Hirehttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247071-hugs-for-hire/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247071-hugs-for-hire/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 19:22:51 +0000Justina Reichel, Epoch Times]]>Stuck without that special someone this Valentine’s Day and feeling lonely? Not to worry, there’s likely a cuddler-for-hire near you.

Professional cuddling—a platonic, non-sexual, paid-for cuddle service—has taken off in the past year with businesses popping up in Vancouver, Montreal, …

]]>

Stuck without that special someone this Valentine’s Day and feeling lonely? Not to worry, there’s likely a cuddler-for-hire near you.

Professional cuddling—a platonic, non-sexual, paid-for cuddle service—has taken off in the past year with businesses popping up in Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton in addition to at least 16 U.S. states.

Last year also saw the launch of the Cuddlr app and the CuddleComfort.com website, which help users locate and connect with strangers nearby for a free, platonic cuddle with no strings attached. Tens of thousands have signed up.

It’s a dream job. — Professional cuddler Marylen Rei

Marylen Reid started the Cuddlery, Canada’s first professional cuddle-for-hire business, in Vancouver last year and has already expanded to cities across the country. She got the idea for the service when she moved to Vancouver four years ago and felt lonely and stressed.

A self-described “really affectionate person,” she longed for tactile interaction without sexual intimacy. That’s when she realized there were likely others who felt the same.

“It’s a new service that’s been needed for a long time, and now that it’s accepted people are seeing its potential to bring joy and happiness,” says Reid. “It’s a dream job.”

Cuddle sessions by Reid’s team, men and women of all ages and backgrounds, start at $65 per hour. Cuddlers are interviewed and then trained to see whether they have the capacity to “transmit compassion and affection” and must pass a criminal background check, says Reid.

Clients can choose to meet at the cuddler’s home, their own home, or in public, and must first provide their identification and sign an agreement that no sexual activity will be involved. The cuddle sessions are also video recorded (without sound) to protect the cuddler and client from allegations of misconduct.

The benefits of touch are well documented and range from lowering stress levels and depression to improving self-esteem and anxiety. Studies have found that tender touching releases a brain chemical called oxytocin, which is linked to feelings of devotion, trust, bonding, and contentment.

This basic need for human affection and belonging is universal and is the driving force behind her business success, says Reid. So far her clients have hailed from all walks of life—divided across age (though they must be over 18), gender, and socioeconomic status.

“That’s the beauty of it—so many people need it,” she says. “It’s interesting because there are no trends … that’s what I see. The age-range I get is from young professionals to retired people, male, female—I get everything.”

Three Main Categories

Cuddling strangers isn’t exactly new. Cuddle parties, a non-sexual event where strangers gather to “give and receive affection,” have been around for over a decade. The first was held in 2004 by Reid Mihalko and Marcia Baczynski, a pair of relationship coaches in New York City.

So why the recent spike in one-on-one stranger cuddling?

The benefits of touch are well documented and range from lowering stress levels and depression to improving self-esteem and anxiety.

Availability of the service through websites and apps and the widespread media publicity is certainly a factor. But the popularity of the service also appears linked to changing social structures such as escalating divorce rates and the breakdown of traditional family units, urban isolation, and geographically dispersed kin.

According to cuddler match-up website CuddleComfort.com, users often fall into three categories: singletons, recent breakup/divorcees, and frequent travellers.

People who are single by choice may not be ready for a relationship but need to fill an “innate need for affection,” says the Cuddle Comfort website.

Those who have recently ended a long-term relationship and may be experiencing “oxytocin withdrawal,” compounding feelings of loneliness and desperation from the loss of their partner, are also frequent clients.

Also common are people who are in relationships but need to travel often for work, separating them from loved ones for long periods of time.

Put simply, modern society needs a forum for adult intimacy without any sexual pressure or expectation, say the Cuddlr app creators.

“We’re not getting the right type of contact often enough; we don’t give and get enough hugs … there’s definitely an under-explored time and a place for a more gentle, no-pressure intimacy, and that’s what Cuddlr aims to help with,” says the Cuddlr app FAQ.

“Romantic relationships typically define our cuddling experience in life as adults, and we find there’s so much more to it than that,” says professional cuddler Samantha Hess on the Cuddle Con website.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247071-hugs-for-hire/feed/0Free Trade With South Korea is Here, But Are Canadian Firms Ready?http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247056-free-trade-with-south-korea-is-here-but-are-canadian-firms-ready/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247056-free-trade-with-south-korea-is-here-but-are-canadian-firms-ready/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 18:58:42 +0000Daniel Ciuriak & Daniel Schwanen]]>Hot on the heels of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement’s entry into force on Jan. 1, Canada’s trade minister, Ed Fast, is leading a trade mission to South Korea this week. This is a good time to remind ourselves of …]]>Hot on the heels of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement’s entry into force on Jan. 1, Canada’s trade minister, Ed Fast, is leading a trade mission to South Korea this week. This is a good time to remind ourselves of the importance of this agreement, Canada’s first with an Asian economy. It is also a good time to commit to the further work required for Canada to reap the full advantage of this more open door toward Asia.

Although the income of the average South Korean is about a third lower than that of Canadians, it has been rising much faster over the past three decades. The Canadian and South Korean economies are now roughly the same size. Canadian and South Korean standards of living will likely converge over the next two decades.

Our competitors in Europe, the United States, and Australia were leaving us behind with South Korea. Now is Canada’s chance to move to the forefront.

Other developed countries have moved to take advantage of this dynamic market. The European Union, the United States, and then Australia, among others, have signed free-trade agreements with South Korea over the past three years, putting Canadian producers at a disadvantage.

Restoring Competitive Balance

The Canada-Korea agreement restores the competitive balance for existing and potential Canadian exporters to South Korea. One of the benefits of this agreement for Canada is how it positions us to maintain market share and jobs that would otherwise have gone to the competition. This is notably the case for Canada’s beef and other agricultural and food producers.

A recently published analysis of the agreement by the C.D. Howe Institute shows that the Canadian economy will expand by $3.1 billion (half of 1 percent) and sustain thousands of jobs as a result of the deal.

South Korea is also becoming the linchpin of North Pacific economic dynamism. It signed a trilateral investment agreement with China and Japan in 2012, and completed the substance of a trade agreement with China late last year. Those pave the way for a broader China-Japan-Korea agreement which, if successful, will open the door to completing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations between Korea, ASEAN, China, India, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

South Korea is not only a buyer of our goods, but of course a supplier as well. Canadian consumers got an early taste of the benefits they can expect from the agreement when a South Korean car maker advertised a price cut on its vehicles sold in Canada last month, billed as the “Free Trade Celebration Event.” South Korean goods such as cars, machinery, and chemicals will have easier-than-otherwise access to the Canadian market, and some Canadian sectors will feel the competitive pinch.

It is important, therefore, that Canadian business be just as opportunistic as South Korea’s and stage “Free Trade Celebration Events” of their own—in South Korea. Governments can sign trade deals, but countries do not export—firms do. And South Korea can be a tough market for firms.

Fully Explore Opportunities

Companies need to build relationships to do business in Asian markets. To succeed, Canadian businesses need to invest in building those relationships in South Korea—and also so that such efforts are not given a cold shoulder by South Korea’s closely knit chaebols, or family-controlled conglomerates, that account for some 80 percent of the country’s production.

South Korean border practices also need to be monitored. Other free-trade partners of South Korea have complained of authorities imposing aggressive paperwork and inspection requirements on imports.

Here, there is a continuing role for Canada’s foreign trade professionals to facilitate, monitor, and intervene where necessary at the political level to ensure that the market access gains made at the negotiating table are not nullified by exclusionary business practices.

While effort is required to make the agreement succeed for Canada, the timing is propitious. The exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the South Korean won is closer to reflecting underlying competitive fundamentals than it has been in a decade, providing Canadian businesses with the breathing room to better compete in the South Korean market.

What we do know, is that official trade diplomacy is effective in opening trade in countries where foreign businesses experience such problems. The trip by Mr. Fast and his officials, accompanied by Canadian business leaders, is an important signal that Canada takes the relationship seriously—and expects that Canadian businesses will be able to fully explore opportunities in the South Korean market on par with its competitors there.

Our competitors in Europe, the United States, and Australia were leaving us behind with South Korea. Now is Canada’s chance to move to the forefront.

Article courtesy C.D. Howe Institute

Dan Ciuriak is a Fellow in Residence with the C.D. Howe Institute and the former Deputy Chief Economist at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Daniel Schwanen is Vice President Research at the C.D. Howe Institute.

]]>http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1247056-free-trade-with-south-korea-is-here-but-are-canadian-firms-ready/feed/0Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: The Supreme Court Makes a Medical Error in Judgmenthttp://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1246696-euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide-the-supreme-court-makes-a-medical-error-in-judgment/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1246696-euthanasia-and-assisted-suicide-the-supreme-court-makes-a-medical-error-in-judgment/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 17:06:21 +0000Dr. Paul Saba]]>Despite the Supreme Court of Canada ruling, human life remains the most precious, commonly shared value of Canadians—the right to life and the right to protect life. Life is a sacred trust and is invaluable. This principle has been enshrined …]]>

Despite the Supreme Court of Canada ruling, human life remains the most precious, commonly shared value of Canadians—the right to life and the right to protect life. Life is a sacred trust and is invaluable. This principle has been enshrined in Canadian law since the founding of this country in 1867. It is reaffirmed in both the Canadian and Quebec Charter of Rights. The ruling of the Canadian Supreme Court is a seismic shift away from our most cherished values.

Recent history has taught us the dangers of the idea that certain “lives are less worthy of life.” Beginning with the severely handicapped children in the T4 program in Germany in 1938 under the supervision of medical doctors, the euthanasia of German citizens was extended to the elderly and those suffering from mental illness.

The ruling of the Canadian Supreme Court is a seismic shift away from our most cherished values.

In our present history we have the modern-day experience of Belgium and the Netherlands, where those who are not terminal but who are depressed and tired of life are euthanized upon request. Children are now candidates for euthanasia in both of these countries. Again, physicians are responsible for supervising the termination of human life.

Medicine Teaches ‘Never to Kill’

Canada must not follow in this direction. Fundamental medical ethics—which have been based on the Hippocratic Oath and has valued human life for more than 2,500 years—are built on the concept to heal and not to kill. Medicine teaches us to “care always, to cure where possible, but never to kill.” Will the future medical oath be “heal until you must kill”?

Will patients battling cancer want to be treated by physicians who practice euthanasia and are possibly more concerned about health care costs than the value of human life?

The lack of medical care including palliative care must not become the basis for health care policy thus targeting the weaker members of our society. We are on the edge of a precipice but cannot allow our weaker citizens to be thrown off the cliff by more powerful people. We have a responsibility to defend the lives of our fellow human beings who are desperate to be cared for and supported at the most critical time in their lives. The recent cutbacks in health care including life-saving cancer drugs in this country is a bellwether of the wrong direction we are going.

Euthanasia is not a medical treatment and is not part of palliative care. Euthanasia is contrary to the medical code of ethics and to international health norms and conventions including those of the World Medical Association. Euthanasia is dangerous as a form of medical practice, with errors in diagnosis up to 20 percent and errors in prognosis up to 50 percent, and one that cannot achieve workable safeguards.

For example, in Belgium, 32 percent of euthanasia deaths are performed without a specific request from or the consent of either the patient or family despite “safeguards” (CMAJ June 15, 2010). For these reasons, palliative care must be adopted as the best practice for end-of-life care, and euthanasia and assisted suicide must be prohibited in end-of-life care.

Consent Not Truly ‘Free and Informed’

A Motion for Declaratory Judgment was filed in the Superior Court of Montreal on May 27, 2014, to challenge articles in the Quebec proposed Bill 52 pertaining to euthanasia. Lisa D’Amico, who is a handicapped person, and I are co-plaintiffs in the case.

This motion is instituted against the Attorney General of Quebec and also impleads the Attorney General of Canada. It seeks to obtain a declaration to the effect that it is not possible in Quebec for patients to provide free and informed consent to euthanasia due to their vulnerability, which is exacerbated by a lack of resources in the health care system, and because of their medical condition and the lack of universal access to palliative care for all persons who require such care, particularly to diminish suffering.

According to the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians, euthanasia is an act consisting of deliberately causing the death of another person in order to put an end to suffering. Palliative care does not include the practice of euthanasia.

Appropriate palliative care is not offered uniformly on the whole in the Quebec territory or in all hospitals, and is only available at a rate of 20-60 percent depending on the region (Commission spéciale sur la question de mourir dans la dignité, March 2012, page 26). A majority of patients do not therefore have access to palliative care and will not be in a position to make a choice that would truly be free and informed.

Defend Vulnerable Citizens

There exists a real and imminent risk of danger that the euthanasia law will quickly lead to the termination of the lives of the more vulnerable people in our society, the first of whom are handicapped persons.

The World Medical Association, representing 9 million doctors in 100 countries, stipulates that even though the patient or his loved ones may ask for euthanasia, it is contrary to ethics. The WMA strongly encourages doctors to refuse to participate in any act of euthanasia, even if the national law authorizes it or decriminalizes it.

Since the Supreme Court of Canada has opened the door for allowing the euthanasia of our most vulnerable citizens, we are continuing our motion in the Superior Court of Montreal to have Bill 52 declared invalid.

We are also calling on the Canadian Parliament, which is the ultimate legislative branch of our country, to defend the most vulnerable of its citizens and not to allow the assisted suicide or euthanasia of its citizens.

Dr. Paul Saba is a family physician who practices in Lachine, Quebec. He is co-president of the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice defending the health care of all Canadians.